So, I'm back after a long absence, and I kind of owe you guys an apology. A combination of stress, health problems, workplace issues and COVID has forced me out of a job. I'm actually taking a course at the moment to prepare myself for going into a career in another field of work
Currently focused on writing an original novel but then I started seeing a few comments asking me when I'm going to continue this fanfic. Never expected this fanfic and my GF fanfic to actually start picking up steam after being silent for so long, but to be honest, I don't know how much further I can go with them both…
But for the very few who are asking, I'll try my best, so here's the newest chapter, and an original story to boot…
Act 6: Moonlight Swordsman
"Are you sure you're all right?" Chiaki asked as he, Kotoha and Ryuunosuke stared at a soaked and muddied Zenjiro making his way out of the training yard's pool, having accidentedly knocked him into it while practicing their Mojikara writing.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine! Hey, a toad in the pool, what a surprise."
"I think he might have hit his head," Mako said to Takeru as the two watched Zenjiro plucking a toad from the top of his head and showing it to the other three (Ryuunosuke backed away while complaining about the toad, Chiaki got bored instantly, Kotoha thought it looked cute.)
"Twice. But he's got a hard head, so I would not worry," Takeru replied.
"And there's no way he would be so calm after getting hit by three different attacks without warning."
Takeru sighed. Zenjiro had technically been his housemate for three years, and he knows the blacksmith is not exactly even-tempered: Zenjiro just happen to have a lot of self-control. Still, he decided it's not worth keeping this a secret from Mako, who Takeru knew was a living lie detector which makes him slightly nervous.
"He's actually angry, but he's using that toad as a distraction to calm himself down while making it look like as though he's fooling around. That's how he usually simmers down quickly, actively seeking out distractions before he completely blows his top."
Mako observed Zenjiro, who was now chasing Ryuunosuke with the toad in his hands with Chiaki's help, and shook her head.
"Why do I feel that he's got a lot of weight on his back? And the way he is willing to make a fool out of himself, almost as though he cares not about his dignity."
"He's fixing our equipment and healing our wounds, not to mention in the process of creating new Origamis to replace those that had been lost. It's obvious he's got a lot of weight on him. But regarding him fooling around, well, I'm not willing to comment about that."
"Oh? Well, sometimes I feel like he actually hates himself, given the way he freely refers to himself as a descendant of traitors and never taking any pride in his work."
Takeru merely sipped his tea. Meanwhile, Ryuunosuke had been cornered by Zenjiro and Chiaki, both of whom were trying to coax him into touching the toad.
"No way I'm touching it! The last time I did, my hands itched for weeks!" Ryuunosuke protested.
"That's 'cause you squeezed it, made it feel threatened, so it secreted some of its fluids," Chiaki replied.
"Well, I'm still not a big fan of toads! Just pour some salt on it and be rid of it!"
"How cruel of you! That'll harm them toadies! Oh, right, that reminds me about my experiment."
"Oh? What kind of experiment?" Chiaki asked, and Zenjiro pulls out a small clay container from his pocket while returning the toad back into the pool.
"Salt tempered with Mojikara. After your battle with Yanasudare, I started thinking that you guys might need something to force an Ayakashi that's gotten you all on the ropes back into the Sanzu. Salt is often used in holy rituals and stuff like that, so I was wondering if it might work. I've had success testing these jury-rigged salt grenades on the random stray Nanashi that showed up every now and then, but I've yet to try it on an Ayakashi… You wanna do it for me?"
"Sounds interesting, I'm in," Chiaki replied, and with that, Zenjiro tossed the clay container to Chiaki's outstretched hands.
Yanagi Zenjiro, blacksmith of the Shiba Clan.
A laid back young man, aloof but helpful, yet also the descendant of several traitors.
What manner of burden does he carry with him?
"Five Ayakashis defeated, one after another… This current generation of Shinkengers are definitely not to be underestimated," Doukoku commented as he stared out the window of the Rokumon Junk.
As always, Doukoku's calmness frightened his fellow Gedoushuu more than when he was his usual angry, violent self. After all, it was a literal 'calm before the storm', and many Nanashi and the occasional Ayakashi had found out the hard way via Doukoku's sword. Only Dayu showed no signs of fear, calmly playing her shamisen at her corner.
"Is it because we have been attacking during the day? Perhaps a night attack should be attempted…"
"Ooh, ooh, Doukoku, I just had a bright idea!" Shitari suddenly spoke up.
"What?"
"Yes, see, some of the Ayakashi can only be hurt by certain elements of the Mojikara that the Shinkengers use, like Hachouchin who is only vulnerable to the Ikenami Clan's water-based Mojikara. I just remembered that in the past, there was an Ayakashi that was weak in the day, but once night falls, she becomes invincible and can only be hurt by a rare type of Mojikara."
"Oh… And I suppose you know where this Ayakashi is?"
"She's been regenerating in the Sanzu for a while after her last battle left her missing an arm. I wonder if she's fully recovered."
Shitari went over to the bow of the junk.
"Hariakumu! Have you awakened? Hariakumu!"
On cue, a reddish, female Ayakashi with long, messy hair which, when combined with her cloak-like appendage, made her resemble a Portuguese man o' war emerged from the Sanzu River, climbing carefully aboard the Rokumon Junk.
"Shitari, I heard you call for me," Hariakumu asked in a respective tone.
"Ah, your arm has grown back, I see…"
"So, you are Hariakumu. I heard you become immune to the Mojikara of the Shinkengers at night, is it not?" Doukoku cut in as he walked up to inspect the newcomer.
"That is true. My power is at its peak at night. Oh, I still remember the samurai being forced to flee from me when they realized I cannot be beaten in the dark…"
"And yet it would seem one of them took an arm from you," Dayu retorted.
Shitari, who is normally calm when appeasing Ayakashis angered by Dayu's taunts, went straight into panic mode.
"Ooh, Dayu! Don't say things like that! She'll…"
The warning came too late. Hariakumu suddenly lets out a high-pitched scream as her hair came to life and began swinging left and right as she threw herself around the Rokumon Junk like a madwoman, shocking even Doukoku who backed away three steps from her.
"Oi, Shitari! What is with her madness?" he demanded.
"THAT DAMNED SAMURAI! THAT DAMNED SAMURAI! Never did I thought there would be a sixth Shinkenger! How can someone who can barely fight me in the day have enough strength to overcome me at my time of greatness? This hateful feeling remains in my memories! How I wish to be rid of those memories! It makes me SICK!"
As Hariakumu lets out another mad scream while lashing out at everything around her, Doukoku and Dayu were staring accusingly at Shitari, who was trying to cower behind them.
"Stop her already! She's tearing up the ship much faster than me on a drunken rampage!" Doukoku yelled, showing surprising self-awareness of his bad habits as he shoved Shitari forward.
"Hariakumu! Listen to me! Shortly after your defeat, the ones responsible for hurting you, they were exiled! Your one weakness has already been removed! If you go out to the human world now and wreck havoc at night, no one will be able to stop you!"
Almost instantly, Hariakumu calmed down as her hair fell back down past her shoulders.
"Really?"
"Yes, yes! See, the son of the one who cut your arm off ended up betraying the Shiba Clan and the other samurais that fought against us. Now they are no longer part of the samurai. You can now go to the human world and do what you did in the past without fear of reprisal."
"In that case, then it is time for me to shine in the dark once again! Oh, I will give you gifts of human fear and despair!"
"What manner of madwoman did you summon to do our bidding, Shitari?" Dayu asked as Hariakumu giddily jumped right back into the waters of the Sanzu River…
"Damn, Zenjiro sure is hard to provoke. I'll have lost it after taking a mudball to the face, then getting hit by a water jet before being sent flying by a whirlwind of leaves… I guess it really takes a lot just to get him to raise his voice," Chiaki commented.
"Zenjiro-kun really is a patient guy…" Kotoha added.
"If we put his occasional laziness and crass attitude aside, he might actually be a good samurai, don't you think, tono?"
"Best we not bring that subject up in front of him, Ryuunosuke. Zenjiro has certain issues about it," Takeru replied.
"Oi, Takeru, you've known Zenjiro for three years. Has he ever gotten mad before? Like legit mad?" Chiaki asked.
Takeru grimaced while Hikoma coughed and looked away.
"So he has gotten mad before."
"That's the problem, actually. He tends to keep his rage bottled up. Most of the time, the rage fades away, but we have seen him unleash all of it at once, to be honest. In fact, it has happened on two occasions," Hikoma finally admitted.
"Oh?"
"The first time was shortly after he moved in. A lot of things had been happening in his life and it was not going well for him, and one fine day, some of the local punks decided to mess with him."
"What happened?"
"By the time I got there, six of them were unconscious and the rest were rolling all over the ground. Zenjiro simply grabbed anything not bolted to the ground and used them as improvised weapons," Hikoma explained.
"What about the second time?"
"That was Takeru-tono's fault."
Takeru made a subtle facepalm as Hikoma turned to look at him.
"Takeru made Zenjiro angry? That's interesting…" Mako commented.
"Oi, Jii-san, tell us what happened!"
"Before the Ayakashi started showing up, Takeru-tono only had to deal with random groups of Nanashi entering our world. The first few times he went into battle, he was careless, and allowed the Shishi Origami to get damaged quite a bit. Zenjiro normally fixed it without complaint until one day when tono returned with the Shishi Origami's back somehow dented in…"
"GOD DAMN IT! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOUR F***ING ORIGAMI? BAKA-YARO!" Zenjiro roared with rage as he hurled a hammer at a surprised Takeru…
Takeru shivered as the memories of that day came back to him, one of the few times he actually panicked though only for a second or two. Ryuunosuke looked aghast while Chiaki and Kotoha laughed at the idea of the stoic young lord being outright yelled at by an angry bespectacled blacksmith.
"I can't believe it! That guy's so patient and all, even respectful to Takeru, yet he actually threw something that dangerous at him out of anger!" the Wood Samurai said cheerfully.
"That is not funny, Chiaki! To think that Zenjiro could be so impetuous to try and strike our lord!" Ryuunosuke snapped back.
"Hiah-Choo!"
Zenjiro snorted and wiped his nose with a napkin as he entered his workshop, sitting down at the table which had a number of blueprints and incomplete mechanical models on it.
"Someone's talking bad about me… Never mind that, I need to replenish the Shiba Clan's Hiden Disk supply… But can these new ones work?" he asked himself.
The Fukurou Origami made some chirping sounds as it hopped around his worktable.
"I thought owls hoot, not chirp. Ah, well, I need to do something else to get my mind straightened out…" he muttered.
Grabbing a brush to write something on top of what looked to be a mechanical weasel, Zenjiro suddenly stopped himself when he realized what he was holding: The Black Shodophone.
"Shit."
Quickly dropping the Black Shodophone into his drawer, Zenjiro grabbed one of his usual brushes and continued with what he wanted to do…
"It must have been a shock when Zenjiro-kun threw that hammer at you, Tono-sama," Kotoha said to Takeru, who merely gave an unconcerned look.
"Well, he missed on purpose, and besides, I was already prepared when I saw him reach for the hammer. Ironically, Zenjiro was the one who was shocked once he realized what he did, but he knows his place, so I would not worry too much about him losing his temper once in a while," Takeru replied.
"Come to think of it, we did catch a glimpse of his angry face during our fight with that Ayakashi called Namiayashi, right, Mako?" Ryuunosuke commented as he turned to Mako, only to notice that she was deep in thought.
"Mako-san?"
"Hey, Takeru… Zenjiro stayed with you for three years, right? Has he ever told you anything about himself apart from his clan's history?" Mako asked all of a sudden.
"About that…"
Takeru's expression suddenly changed to one of discomfort as he looked away while Hikoma appeared to hesitate before he replied.
"Zenjiro had a rather normal childhood, actually, but a few years ago, he lost his sister in an incident. Don't go talking about it in front of him, though."
"Woah, wait a minute, you said he lost his sister?"
"Yes, but that's his personal matter, so I shall speak no more of it. When he is ready to share, I'll let him tell you about it himself."
And it was at this moment when the bells of the Sukima Sensor started chiming…
"Ah ha ha ha! Yes, you foolish humans, flee! Flee before the great Hariakumu!"
Several people fled the stadium as Hariakumu and the Nanashi rampaged about, with the Ayakashi wielding a katana with a blade resembling a thunderbolt and several black strings wrapped around the entire weapons. With each swing, a dark blue blade of energy manifested and destroyed whatever was in its path.
A mother and child found themselves cut off from the exit by a pair of Nanashi. As the fearful mother clutched her child, strands of Hariakumu's hair began twisting themselves into the shape of hooks as she smiled at the humans wickedly.
"Ah, what do we have here? Pincushions, in different sizes!"
The mother screamed as the hooks surged towards her and her child, but then Hariakumu yelped in surprise as a storm of leaves engulfed her and her Nanashi, followed by an assault from several pebbles striking them like bullets. The Nanashi were pretty much taken out, but Hariakumu remained standing, turning around to see who had attacked her just in time to see Takeru, having already transformed into Shinken Red, about to hit her from mid-air with a downward slash.
Hariakumu barely dodged the attack as the other Shinkengers converged around their leader.
"That's far enough, Gedoushuu."
"Oh, Shinkengers! So, you've all come to play, have you? Fine with me! I'll have your corpses for pincushions and your skin for threads! Oh, the pretty things I'll make with them…"
"Well, this is the first time an Ayakashi's attacking in the evening," Ryuunosuke commented.
"How's that important? I'm more worried about the way she's talking! It's like she's got a few loose screws in the head, even for a Gedoushuu," Chiaki retorted.
"Never mind that. Chiaki, Kotoha, get the civilians out of here and rejoin as soon as you can. Ryuunosuke, Mako, with me!"
As the two younger samurais escorted the mother and child to safety, the other three samurais began engaging Hariakumu, who flailed her blade around recklessly. At first, Takeru wondered if this female Ayakashi was fooling around, but then Ryuunosuke was sent flying by a lucky strike.
"Careful! She may not be skilled with swordsplay, but she hits like a hammer!" Ryuunosuke warned as he got back to his feet, holding his chest for a few moments before re-entering the fray.
"Right, her wild swings are actually making it difficult to land a hit of our own!" Mako added.
"Stay calm! We just need to wait for an opening… There!"
By the time Takeru finished his sentence, he had already jabbed Hariakumu in the face, but to his surprise, the attack only dazed her slightly right before she recovered and counter-attacked, with Takeru barely dodging in time. At the same time, Chiaki and Kotoha returned, and they joined Ryuunosuke and Mako in delivering four simultaneous slashes on Hariakumu, but all the attack did was force her back a few steps, and when she looked up, it was clear that she had not been harmed.
"She's… Much more resilient than I thought," Ryuunosuke commented.
"I don't get it! Those attacks were fully charged with our Mojikara! She should have been hurt! Unless she's immune or something…" Chiaki said.
"That's impossible! Ayakashi should be hurt by Mojikara, no?"
Hariakumu began laughing insanely while pointing her weapon at the Shinkengers.
"Good observation, green one! Your attacks mean nothing to me, because none of your Mojikara has any effect on my body! I shall be the one to pierce and ripe apart your miserable lives! Have a taste of my Arakage Kurotogeken's special technique! Yamihashira Raiden!"
Spinning her weapon by its hilt, Hariakumu launched several bolts of dark-coloured lightning at the Shinkengers, forcing them to take cover as miniature explosions occurred around them. Chiaki and Kotoha had managed to roll forward when Chiaki was suddenly grabbed by black strands around the neck and left arm and lifted into the sky, with more strands entangling his chest and legs.
"Hey! What's happening?" he yelled in surprise.
"Chiaki!" Kotoha called out and rushed to cut him loose, but then her arms snapped to her sides as she herself is wrapped up and lifted.
"What the heck is with her hair?" Ryuunosuke asked as he and Mako stared in shock at Hariakumu's hair, which had grown longer and also appeared to have increased in amount.
"Quick! Get Chiaki and Kotoha!" Takeru ordered.
"You two shall be the first sacrifices!" Hariakumu shrieked in delight as several strands of hair formed into spikes and, like a machine gun being fired, struck both Chiaki and Kotoha several times in quick succession before the two are thrown aside.
"Chiaki! Kotoha!" Mako cried out as she rushed to their side, both knocked out of their transformations.
"We're fine, but damn it, it hurts! Who knew hair can be so painful?"
"I don't understand… I-I-It's like we're f-fighting a different Ayakashi…" Kotoha stammered.
Mako looked up to see that both Takeru and Ryuunosuke were also struggling against Hariakumu, who continued to be unresponsive to their swords strikes even as both samurai combined their Mojikara's elements against her.
"Useless, useless!" Hariakumu cried out as she snagged both Takeru and Ryunosuke in her hair and swung them about before hurling them both across the stands, narrowly missing Mako, Chiaki and Kotoha as the two crash-landed through the windows of one of the food stalls at the top.
Only Mako remained standing against Hariakumu, who somehow managed to combine both skipping and crawling into her movements as she approached the Sky Samurai. Swallowing her growing fears, Mako dashed forward, slashing away at Hariakumu several times only for the Ayakashi to no-sell her attacks before retaliating with a few slashes of her own, the final one summoning lightning bolts that sent Mako reeling across the ground.
As Mako tried to get up, she was forced back to the ground as Hariakumu slammed one foot down on her chest.
"Die," the Ayakashi said as she raised her weapon, prepared to impale Mako when the sound of an object breaking is heard.
Hariakumu screamed in pain as she reared her head up, smoke emitting from her back as she stumbled and flailed about wildly. Broken clay pieces could be seen on the ground near Mako, along with some salt
"Hey, Zenjiro's salt grenade worked!" Chiaki commented as he and Kotoha limped over to Mako while Takeru and Ryuunosuke emerged from the food stall, both watching Hariakumu cursing a blue streak and practically hunched over in pain as she disappeared into a gap…
Zenjiro had apparently sneaked out of the mansion to get junk food (not the first time) by the time Takeru and the others returned, thus the kuroko were the ones who tended to their wounds. However, the blacksmith soon got the message from one of his pet crows and came running back without buying anything.
The samurai had a number of bruises and abrasions that had to be disinfected before Zenjiro could begin the healing process. Mako was sporting a black eye that did not go well with her pretty face, Chiaki needed a neck brace for the night and Ryuunosuke needed a total of sixteen stitches for the wounds on his right shoulder as well as reassurance that there would only be a little scarring. Zenjiro also had to crudely relocate two dislocated fingers on Kotoha's left hand, the sight of the young girl forcing herself not to cry out paining him, but the nastiest injury was suffered by Takeru: Two brutal lacerations across his back which he ordered to be kept secret from the others
"All right, most of your wounds should be fixed by now. The bigger ones will take a day or two," Zenjiro said as he finished with the healing two hours after he started.
"Man, I feel refreshed!" Chiaki commented as he stretched himself.
"Thank you for the healing, Zenjiro-kun," Kotoha said to the blacksmith, who merely shook his head.
"I told you, I'm responsible for supporting you guys. I'm pretty much just a kuroko out of uniform."
"Hey, Zenjiro, your salt grenade worked, by the way. It was like someone threw boiling water on that Ayakashi."
"Oh, that's good to hear. I'll prepare more. Might just use seawater this time, easier to obtain. Now, this Ayakashi, what did she look like?" Zenjiro asked as he began flipping through the pages of one of the Shiba Clan's records.
"She's mostly red, wih crazy-looking eyes…"
"She can use her hair as a weapon. Turn then into hooks."
"Her sword could summon black electrical energy as well."
Zenjiro paused at one particular page, his expression hanging to one of confusion, then frustration as he handed the book to Hikoma before gathering his things and walking out of the room.
"Woah, what happened?" Chiaki asked.
"His personality just switched all of a sudden," Ryuunosuke commented.
"It happens when he gets troubled. Anyways, it seems you've encountered Hariakumu of the Piercing Hair… That's one troublesome Ayakashi. Unstable and bloodthirsty, she was thought to be killed during the time of the ninth generation of Shinkengers, but clearly we were mistaken. She burns in daylight, which is why she only comes out at night, but she also gains a significant power boost when the moon is full," Hikoma said as he showed them the page on the record book.
"I don't understand. Our attacks did nothing to her! Can an Ayakashi be immune to Mojikara?"
"No. All Ayakashi can only be slained by those with Mojikara. There does not exist a single one that is immune to its only weakness," Takeru said as he walked into the room.
"But, tono, that Ayakashi we fought, she's-"
"An Ittou Ayakashi (one blade Ayakashi)."
"Ittou Ayakashi?"
"A rare type of Ayakashi that is immune to all but a specific Mojikara. If I recall, the previous generation of Shinkengers once fought an Ayakashi that can only be hurt by the wood-based Mojikara of the Tani Clan," Hikoma explained.
"So only one of us can harm this Ayakashi then," Ryuunosuke mused.
"Then which one of us is it?" Chiaki asked.
"In Hariakumu's case, well… Ah, no wonder Zenjiro was troubled… She is only vulnerable to the Moon Mojikara of the Yanagi Clan… In other words, only Zenjiro's Mojikara can harm her."
The room went silent for a moment, but then Chiaki had a realization.
"Wait, is that why the salt grenade worked? The salt was infused with Zenjiro's Mojikara, right?"
"But Zenjiro's not a Shinkenger, and even if we tell him to fight…"
"And we've never seen Zenjiro wield a sword before."
Hikoma sighed. He turned to look at Takeru, who merely nodded, before turning back to address the others
"Perhaps it is time we convince him to pick up the sword like his father did."
"Eh?" everyone except Takeru uttered as they turned to look at Hikoma.
"Zenjiro has a Shodophone, a special one made for his clan. His father, Yanagi Mitsuichi, actually accepted to return to becoming a samurai. However, his first and ultimately last battle happened right here in this mansion seventeen years ago. The Gedoushuu had raided the mansion, breaking through the barriers protecting it. The previous head of the Shiba Clan fell in combat, and Takeru himself barely escaped the flames thanks to Mitsuichi fighting his way to him."
"Then, that means tono owes Zenjiro's father a debt…" Ryuunosuke mused.
"And Zenjiro-kun can become a Shinkenger?" Kotoha added.
"Yes to both questions. In regards to the debt, Yanagi Mitsuichi requested that we allow his children to join the Shinkengers once they are of age, but clearly that intention has been met with difficulties."
"Zenjiro is refusing the call. And it's not the burn scars on his father's body, nor his clan's history of betrayals that is stopping him. He blames himself for his sister's death, which is why he refused to pick up a blade ever since,"
"Right, Jii-san mentioned Zenjiro's sister was deceased. But what does her death have to do with Zenjiro not wanting to fight? Why does he blame himself?"
"Zenjiro and his twin sister Megumi were excited at the idea of their clan finally fighting alongside the Shiba Clan once again, so his father taught them how to use their Mojikara, swordsmanship and martial arts. He also taught them both how to fix the equipment of the Shinkenger, as well as how to heal both humans and Origami with Mojikara. The idea was that both siblings will aid the Shiba with one as a samurai and the other as either a blacksmith or a healer."
"In terms of combat, Megumi had more control over her Mojikara than Zenjiro, who was much better in fixing and healing, so Zenjiro chose to be the support despite having a strong desire to be a samurai," Takeru continued.
"What happened then?"
"Zenjiro made a mistake while trying to recreate an Origami that was lost during the sixteenth generation's battles with the Ayakashi. He was with his sister when the excess Mojikara blew up the garage they were working in. Zenjiro was badly wounded, but his sister, well… She did not make it… She died in his arms that day."
"Wait, what?!" Chiaki and Ryuunosuke both blurted out in shock.
"He watched his own sister die in front of him?" Mako asked, a horrified look on her face while Kotoha gasped.
"I am afraid so. Zenjiro never forgave himself. In his mind, he had killed his sister, that it was his clan's history of betrayal catching up to him, and on that day, he abandoned all desire to become a samurai. In fact, the 'him' you all know currently is but a fragment of his original self. His spirit has already been broken."
"But what about this Ayakashi? Given the situation, we can't win without his Mojikara!"
"Calm down, Ryuunosuke. If there's one talent Zenjiro has apart from repairs and healing, it's creating new ways to utilize Mojikara. He'll have a solution by tomorrow. For now, rest up. You all will definitely be facing that Ayakashi tomorrow night," Hikoma said reassuringly.
"You make it sound so simple! The records stated it, no? Only Zenjiro can defeat that Ayakashi at this point of time!" Chiaki complained.
"No. I don't need a broken man fighting alongside us. He'll just be a burden. Leave him where he can work best. He will think up of a way to skirt around this obstacle."
"Did he really just call Zenjiro a burden after everything he's done for us?" Chiaki angrily growled as Takeru left without even looking back, Hikoma following behind.
"Why are you getting so worked up for? Our lord's just being pragmatic. Besides, I believe Zenjiro would say the same thing himself," Ryuunosuke chided Chiaki, who responded with a loud 'tsk!' as he folded his arms and leaned against the wall.
"Actually, I think what Takeru really meant is that he did not want Zenjiro to get himself killed."
"What do you mean, Mako?"
"During our practice session earlier today, Takeru and I were discussing Zenjiro's temper, how he seem to be able to keep a lid on it. The truth is, I believe Zenjiro is angry. Always angry, and some self-loathing too. What we were just told proves it. Zenjiro blames himself for his sister's death, so he's either too fearful of wielding a sword, or he might lose control and behave recklessly. The results of both situations are that something bad happens to Zenjiro. He, well, he might end up…"
"You're saying Zenjiro-kun is… He may be suicidal?" Kotoha said as she looked around at her comrades.
"As uncomfortable as I am with saying that, it's probably how Takeru sees it. I hope I'm wrong though," Mako replied in a worried tone.
"Tono, those words you used, they were a bit harsh, don't you think? Are you not worried that your vassals will think you ungrateful towards Zenjiro?" Hikoma asked.
"I'm not really in the mood to care about that, Jii. I don't even know if we can beat this Ayakashi without Zenjiro," Takeru replied as he leaned against a wall, a troubled look on his face.
"What do you mean?"
"Zenjiro would probably come up with a plan, but you and I both know that the final blow must be delivered by him personally if we are to destroy that Ayakashi. As long as Zenjiro refuses to pick up the blade, I see no chance of winning even with whatever strategy or tool he comes up with."
No wonder he put on that attitude, he can't let the others know that without Zenjiro becoming a Shinkenger, they cannot achieve victory. But at the same time, we do not know if Zenjiro's mental state. He might end up a liability as the lord had said…
"We'll just see what we can do without him," Takeru suddenly said, interrupting Hikoma's thoughts, before walking off to his room while the older man wondered if there was anything he could do to help both his charges as well as Zenjiro…
It has been quite a while since Hariakumu's first attack, but evening was fast approaching, and the Sensor's bell was already starting to sound. Despite the other's uncertainty, Takeru simply ordered them to follw him into battle, leaving Zenjiro behind but not before getting a new equipment from him: A pair of modified sodegaramis infused with his Mojikara.
"Use one to try and entangle her hair and the other to see if it can inflict a fatal blow on her. Don't worry if she grows giant, my Fukurou Origami has Moon Mojikara in it. Just combine Shinken-Oh with the Kabuto Origami and deal with that Ayakashi as you would any other," Zenjiro said as he handed the two sodegaramis to Takeru and Ryuunosuke.
"It'll work?"
"Hopefully."
"Zenjiro-kun, don't you think you should come along?" Kotoha asked suddenly.
"Eh, no. I don't think so, I can't fight. I'll just get in the way," Zenjiro replied nervously.
"Quit stalling. We only have a short amount of time before that Ayakashi gets powered up by the darkness of night," Takeru said to the others, who nodded and followed him out the gates, leaving Zenjiro standing alone watching as they leave.
"Zenjiro."
The blacksmith turned around to see Hikoma standing before him.
"Hikoma-san? Is something wrong?"
"Yes. In fact, I shall be blunt here: I fear that your reluctance is going to bring about their ends."
"I think so too, but… I cannot fight. I am still plagued by guilt which means my heart is not in the right place, my swordsmanship is mediocre at best, and you and I both know that the offensive abilities of the Moon Mojikara my clan possess is weak. I will only be a liability to them. And given my clan's history, we're not exactly the best people to be given power."
"So that's what's been stopping you. Fear and uncertainty?"
"And incompetence. My mistake in Mojikara control got my sister killed. I do not want another person to die because of my lack of control. I just, well, I don't want to end up another traitor of the Yanagi, one way or another."
"And you won't. I am sure of it."
"How can you be so sure? Hikoma-san, one of your ancestors was murdered by one of mine! My clan willingly gave up power because of how easily we are corrupted by it. I gave up my desires to become a samurai because-"
"Because you think you murdered your sister?"
Hikoma placed one hand on Zenjiro's shoulders.
"I was there when it happened, remember? I helped your father dig you two out of the wreckage. Did you wish to know the last words your sister uttered before she expired in your arms?"
How could Zenjiro forget that fateful day three years ago? His sister, even as she was dying, caressing his face as she muttered something he could not make out before her eyes closed forever. His uncle and aunt blaming him for what happened, his mother bed-ridden by grief and his father reduced to running a small diner to make ends meet for a broken family.
Everything was his fault. He had rushed to create that Origami. Had he not roped his sister in to help…
"'Protect the world for me.' That was what your sister said. You were in so much shock you could not register her words at that time."
"What?"
"She entrusted that responsibility to you, Zenjiro. You can blame yourself for as long as you want and that will not fix the mistakes you made, but the past cannot define you. Instead, the past should be lessons for you to learn in the present so that you can avoid these same mistakes in the future."
Zenjiro looked at the older man as though he had said something alien, but Hikoma was not done.
"Besides, all this talk about betrayal, I just cannot see it in you. Over the last three years, you have tired yourself out making improvements to the young lord's equipment, tended to his injuries, helped to scout for enemies and protected the helpless in your own way without even carrying a weapon. You did all those even as you were about to give out yourself, yet you barely complained apart from an occasional, brief temper tantrum."
"Oh, yeah, my bad…"
"You may not realize this, Zenjiro, but you have an altruistic nature, unlike your ancestors who were selfish. You will not fall as they did, and I will bet my life on it. You just need to see it in yourself," Hikoma continued as he placed in Zenjiro's hand the black Shodophone, much to his surprise.
"You left it on your work desk," Hikoma explained as the Fukurou Origami appeared, flapping its wings and circling Zenjiro before perching itself upon his shoulders.
Zenjiro stared at the black Shodophone in his hands, then he sighed and stuffed it into one of his cargo pants' pockets.
"I don't know, I…"
"If I cannot convince you, then I only beg you for one thing. For this battle, just this one time, please, wield a sword in the name of the Shiba Clan."
Hikoma made to go down on his knees, which horrified Zenjiro into stopping him from doing so. The look on his face tells Hikoma that everything he had said to Zenjiro was worth it.
"Just this one time, then… I'm going now, Hikoma-san."
With that, Zenjiro turned and took one step out the gates, but then Hikoma, who was still watching him, cringed as the blacksmith tripped, fell and landed on…
"Chiaki! Are you all right? I'm sorry!" Kotoha asked as she scrambled up to her feet, having been thrown onto her fellow samurai by Hariakumu.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine! I just- Look out!"
Chiaki grabbed Kotoha and rolled out of the way just in time to avoid a blast of lightning from Hariakumu, who was busy tearing up the temple grounds she had invaded.
"Damn it, how do we even use this things?" Ryuunosuke asked as he struggled with the sodegarami Zenjiro had told them to use against Hariakumu.
"Hold steady. We just need to get one entangled in her hair to momentarily obstruct her ability to attack with them, then use the other one to-"
Takeru was cut off mid-sentence by Hariakumu launching her barbed hair at him and Ryuunosuke, both samurais barely avoiding the attack before Mako, Kotoha and Chiaki regrouped with them.
"Damn it, it's hard to get her hair entangled in this," Ryuuunosuke complained.
"And she's already smashed one of them… This is bad. Takeru, do you have any plan?" Mako asked, but to everyone's concerns, the Fire Samurai remained silent.
"I've had enough of you all! Yamihashira Raiden!" Hariakumu screamed at the Shinkengers as she unleahed her lightning attack upon them, throwing them all to the ground as electricity coursed through their bodies while the sodegarami dropped somewhere behind them.
"She's too powerful! If only Zenjiro-kun was here…"
"Ah ha ha! Look at you all, so weak and helpless! I'll start with the smallest one!" Hariakumu said as she fired her hair towards Kotoha, who had landed away from the others.
"Kotoha!" Mako and Chiaki called out in fear as Takeru and Ryuunosuke tried to reach her, but then the unexpected happened.
A figure, carrying the sodegarami that had been dropped, dashed past everyone and stopped in front of Kotoha, skillfully entangling Hariakumu's hair with the weapon before raising a left hand holding the Black Shodophone and writing a single character on the sodegarami.
[反]
The sodegarami was sent flying back at Hariakumu at high speed with her hair still entangled in it. The sodegarami smashed right into her face, the force knocking her down and tearing off half of her hair in the process, causing her to scream in agony.
"My hair! My beautiful hair! How dare you! Who the hell are you?"
"I'm your new hairdresser… Bitch."
"Zenjiro!" everyone uttered in surprise as the blacksmith stood before them.
"Sorry, guys. Hikoma-san was annoying me with his prep talk, so I came to break my one rule for tonight. This show has no encores, so remember it," Zenjiro said to the Shinkengers as he raised his Shodophone and uttered a single phrase while writing out a single character:
"Ippitsu Soujou."
[月]
A flash of dark violet light engulfed Zenjiro, and when it dissipated, Zenjiro was now clad in the same protective suit as the Shinkengers, although it was mirrored save for the Shiba clan's emblem. Much of the suit was black, with the sleeves and pants being dark grey in colour.
"He transformed!" Ryuunosuke exclaimed.
"But what colour is he?" Chiaki asked.
"Huh, am I grey or black? Well, doesn't matter… I'm Yanagi Zenjiro, descendant of the one that cut you down in the past. Nice to meet you," Zenjiro addressed Hariakumu, who immediately lost her temper.
"The Yanagi Clan! But did your filthy line not betray the Shiba? Why are you fighting alongside them again? No, no, no! THIS IS NOT HOW THINGS WERE SUPPOSED TO GO! This won't do, this won't do! Curse my luck and curse you a hundred times! I need more soldiers! More! MORE!"
"I guess she's mad in both ways," Zenjiro commented with a shrug as over a hundred Nanashis emerged from gaps around the area upon Hariakumu's command.
"Shit, I knew this was a bad idea," Zenjiro muttered as he loaded his personal Disk into his weapon and began swinging away, cutting down five to six Nanashis per swing while also using his weapon's abnormally long handle as a shield.
"That's one huge katana," Mako commented.
"That's a nagamaki, but the way Zenjiro is wielding it, it doesn't really feel right," Ryuunosuke explained.
"Offensive power has never been a strong point for the Yanagi Clan's Moon Mojikara. Because of that, they have to compensate with physical strength and unorthodox fighting styles, so I'm not surprised. What I'm surprised about is how he is using it despite being left-handed," Takeru said as they watched Zenjiro use his weapon's handle to send a Nanashi flying into the arms of its comrades before he wiped them all out with a single slash.
"Hey, should we not be helping him?" Chiaki asked, prompting the others to follow suit and charge into the fray.
The Shinkengers did well, but the Nanashi numbers appear to be rising instead of dwindling. Zenjiro seem to have noticed it, and in response, he jabbed his weapon into the ground.
"Gekkoumaru: Kemuri Kagami!"
A strange pulse of silver energy was sent out from Zenjiro's weapon, and everyone present felt a strange tremor go through their bodies. While the rest of the Shinkengers were unaffected, the Nanashi appeared confused, looking around and seemingly lost until one of them suddenly shrieked and attacked the other, at which point mass chaos erupted among the Nanashi ranks.
"They're fighting each other! How? What have you done to them, you filthy human?" Hariakumu demanded.
"Just a little bit of illusion. They now think each other is a Shinkenger while we are their fellow Nanashi. Nice trick, eh?"
"Why you… I'LL KILL YOU!"
Hariakumu engaged Zenjiro in a fierce battle, their equally-long blades clashing furiously as the rest of the Shinkengers finished off the surviving Nanashi. The two exchanged over twenty blows with each other before Zenjiro suddenly lowered his weapon. Seizing the opening, Hariakumu tried to tear his head off, but Zenjiro gave her a painful headbutt, then a punch to the throat before kicking his blade up to slash her across the torso and finally kicking her away.
"Nice feint," Ryuunosuke commented as the five original samurais joined Zenjiro while Hariakumu stumbled backwards.
"No, my arms got tired," the blacksmith admitted.
"Eh?"
"Let's not waste time. We can finish her first life now. Rekka Daizantou! Oozutsu Mode!"
"What the hell is that thing?" Hariakumu asked in shock as she laid eyes on the Rekka Daizantou.
As everyone loaded their Disks into the weapon, Takeru tapped Zenjiro on the shoulder.
"We'll use your Disk, Zenjiro" he said to the blacksmith, who nodded and attached his Fukurou Disk to side of the weapon before kneeling down with the others.
"Fukurou Gourindan! Seibai!"
A black energy sphere is launched from the weapon, taking the form of an owl screeching as it collided wih Hariakumu at full speed. Hariakumu writhed in pain as energy surged throughout her body before letting out one final scream right before she exploded into flames.
"All right, prepare for her second life, everyone," Takeru ordered.
As the samurai prepared their Origamis, including Zenjiro, they suddenly sensed something wrong. There was no taunting, no tremors and no sign of a giant Hariakumu.
"Wait, where's that damn thing's second life?" Chiaki asked.
"Is she dead? Or did she escape back into the Sanzu River?" Kotoha added.
"Maybe it's a trick. Maybe she's trying to lower our guard," Ryuunosuke suggested as he looked around.
Five minutes later, Hariakumu is still a no show, but then Takeru's Shodophone rang.
"Ah, tono, is that you? Are you still in battle?" Hikoma's voice is heard.
"Well, no. We've destroyed the Ayakashi's first life, but for some reason, she-"
"She did not become a giant, am I right?"
"How did you know that?"
"Come back to the mansion andI'll show you. But rest assured, that Ittou Ayakashi is permanently dead."
"Jii-chan says that Ayakashi's dead… This is strange."
"Wait, maybe Zenjiro's Fukurou Origami was so powerful that it obliterated both her lives at once?"
"Er, I don't think that's possible, Ryuunosuke," Zenjiro said as he stretched himself.
"Well, if Jii-chan says she's permanently slained, then I guess this brings this act to a close," Takeru declared, although the uncertainty in his voice was too obvious.
"Here is the reason why Hariakumu did not grow big: It appears she had actually lost her first life in the past," Hikoma explained as he placed the records book in front of the Shinkengers.
Zenjiro and the samurais had returned to the Shiba mansion suffering from slight paranoia, wondering when a giant Hariakumu would suddenly show up with her insane laughter, but Hikoma, who was waiting for them at the gates, ushered them to the main hall where he revealed the information he had found while they were gone.
"So, all this time, we were fighting her in her second life? Shouldn't she be like a skyscraper or something?" Chiaki asked.
"According to this record by Shiba Sakuya, fourth head of the Shiba Clan, there had been instances where an Ayakashi, so grieviously wounded during their second life, escapes back into the Sanzu River to heal from their injuries which comes at the cost of their giant size, although they retain a bit of their increased powers. Zenjiro's ancestor had sliced off one of Hariakumu's arms when she was in her second life which forced her to flee, thus you lot actually encountered her in her second life."
"So, she's really gone? Well, I can't say I'm not glad we got off easy," Ryuunosuke said.
"That was really fortunate for us. She was a frightening foe," Mako added as she lets out a sigh of relief.
"But what about Zenjiro? I mean, he just became a Shinkenger," Kotoka asked.
"Or rather, he revivied the position of the sixth Shinkenger."
"Sorry, like I said, I don't do encores. It's a one time deal. Seriously, feeling all that power inside of me was more frightening than that crazy Ayakashi we killed just now," Zenjiro said as he made to leave the room, only for Takeru to block him.
"Unfortunately for you, this isn't a one-part movie, Zenjiro. You're in an episodic drama."
"You are not seriously considering this."
"I know you have other responsibilities, but if the situation calls for it, will you be willing to raise your blade again?"
"This-"
"I need someone who can throw his personal feelings aside to fight alongside his comrades. We do not know when another Ittou Ayakashi who can only be harmed by your Mojikara will show up, and I will not take such a risk. If you can't do it…"
The others watched in tensed silence as Takeru held out one hand, palm opened upwards. Zenjiro knew what Taker's intentions were, and as much as he hates it, he knew that Takeru's concerns were right and chuckled.
"You're bad at giving people choices, you know that? Since you're making me look like an asshole, how can I say no? Just don't force me to overwork myself. I will not heed your summons if I am in a state where I become a liability on the battlefield. That is my one and only term."
"Fine. In that case, Yanagi Zenjiro, as the current head of the Shiba clan, I re-instate your clan's status as retainers. From now on, you are Shinken Black," Takeru said to Zenjiro, who merely nodded in silence.
"All right, Zenjiro! You're Shinkenger number six!" Chiaki said cheerfully as he drapped one arm over Zenjiro's shoulders.
"I look forward to fighting alongside you in the next battle, Zenjiro-kun."
"Wait, I-"
"Your swordsmanship requires some polishing, though. You did perform well, but your movements were sloppy-"
"Ryuunosuke, are you trying to start a fight with Zenjiro?"
"Mako, stop pulling my ear!"
The glare Zenjiro gave to Takeru reads 'Look what you got me into' as the young lord nonchalantly ignores him. Hikoma, however, gave Zenjiro an approving look, and the blacksmith could not help but feel a new level of respect for the older man.
I don't know how far you pulled me out that pit I threw myself in, Hikoma-san, but I appreciate it. It's time I climb my way out by myself, as a way to thank you, Zenjiro thought to himself as he allowed the others to drag him to the kitchen to do a little celebration of his 'promotion'…
Although Zenjiro is finally ready to fight alongside his new comrades, whether his past and his clan's dark history will affect him in battle remains to be seen.
For now, though, Shinkengers Act 6 comes to a close…
Okay, my first original Ayakashi, based on a less-known yōkai known as a hari-onna/harionago who haunted the roads of Ehime Prefecture. She is said to be quite a ferocious yōkai with the ability to change her strands of hair into razor sharp bards which she would use to shred her victims.
Zenjiro's mass illusion ability was originally to be named Kyōka Suigetsu, based on a Chinese/Japanese phrase about mirages, but the phrase is more famously known as the name of the sword belonging to [BLEACH] antagonist Aizen Sōsuke, so I used the phrase [Smoke and Mirrors] instead.
And also, I am dreadfully sorry for the cheap way it ended. I wrote too much and it crossed the ten thousand word limit that I've placed on each chapter, so I ended up removing a large chunk of it. I promise to do my best to avoid this in future chapters
Hariakumu: hari (needle) + akumu (nightmare)
Arakami Kagetogeken meaning: Wild-hair Shadow Thorn Sword
Yamihashira Raiden meaning: Dark Pillar Lightning