Chapter Fifteen: Muramasa

Ryu awoke and felt pain. His every inch was aching from his arrival and as he pulled himself up he looked over the city of Tairon. He had landed on a several story building that overlooked a large part of it. The streets were narrow and closed and wherever he looked the windows were closed and barred.

Standing to his feet he nearly fell to one knee. Regaining his bearings, he moved to the edge and began scaling down the building. Getting down onto the brown cobblestones, he walked down a hill, hand on his sword.

Then there was a click behind him.

Ryu tensed and looked back to see a masked security officer pointing a pistol at him. "Freeze! Stay where you are, insurgent! You're under arrest!"

The Dragon Blade had ceased to cut. Why? Perhaps it had something to do with his killing of so many. He was in a daze.

"Drop your weapon!" cried the man.

The man was scared. Ryu could tell by the quiver in his voice. He knew he was outmatched. Ryu drew the Dragon Sword and surged to the man's side. Bringing down the sword he cut the gun in half. Reaching out he grabbed the man by the neck and sent him into unconsciousness.

Lowering him down, Ryu checked the man's pulse. "Still alive.

"I've got to get off these streets."

He wandered down the streets, keeping his sword near. They were empty wherever he walked as he went down. His stomach was churning and he felt like he might throw up but he controlled himself. "Why would the Dragon Sword turn on me? Why would it not cut that beast of steel?"

He looked at the sword, gazing at his own reflection. His outfit was covered in blood and he looked more like a visage of hell than any champion of justice. The blood of fathers, sons, and brothers all over him. "I see. That's why."

Ryu walked on because he had nothing else to do. "Where is everyone? Every window is barred and locked."

After a time he came into a square and saw a great statue of twin serpents coiling around each other. He gazed at it, falling to one knee to support himself. "That statue, it is strange. Something about it…"

"They came this way, quickly." Said a voice.

Ryu quickly hid behind the fountain as soldiers marched along the streets. Keeping himself on the opposite side of the fountain, Ryu thought he ought to kill these. It would make the Dark Dragon Blade call out to him, wouldn't it? Murai had told him to do that.

But his sword denied him. It wouldn't be right.

The soldiers marched on into a gate and it closed behind them. For a time, Ryu sat there, breathing heavily. What had he done in coming here? Why had he come? Revenge? Retrieving the Dark Dragon Blade? Did it even matter?

No.

He had to get up. Get up. Get up!

Ryu forced himself up and staggered along the streets, not sure where he was going or why. He realized he was following in the footsteps of the soldiers. As he did, he found corpses. Young men, middle-aged men, some teenagers in masks. All were lying dead, some with kunai in their bodies, others cut down by swords. Some burn marks on the wall combined with entrails spoke of explosives being used. Distantly, Ryu heard the sound of gunfire and explosions. Yet as he walked toward it, he found only corpses. Who had done this? And why?

They were like him. Or was he like them?

It didn't matter. The dead were dead and the living were killing others. Was he sick? Or deranged? Or perhaps sick in the head?

Ryu sheathed the Dragon Sword and unhooked the sheathe. He'd fight with it on from now on. Staggering onward, he came to the gate to what seemed to be a military base. There were bodies here, men with grenade launchers lying dead. Several charred corpses were around here.

It was like looking at Doku's work. Or his own.

Staggering onward, Ryu came to a street. But he halted, scanning for something. He found what he was looking for in a tripwire. Stepping over it, he noticed explosives set around the back of the entrance. A trap, the sort used by the Black Spider Ninja Clan. This could cause a lot of collateral…

He heard voices and saw a team of soldiers rushing into sight.

Ryu turned and ran as they fired after him. Their bullets smashed into the wall ahead of him, and he turned the corner. A moment later there was a massive explosion behind Ryu that deafened him. All he could hear was a whine. Looking around the corner he saw smoking corpses and charred streets.

The trap had been to his benefit. That did not make it right.

Staggering on, Ryu rounded a corner and found a checkpoint. Five soldiers stood before him, trailing their guns downrange at him. "Stay where you are, ninja! Or by the Emperor, we'll gun you down where you stand."

This was cramped quarters. If Ryu charged straight in he'd be riddled with bullets. There were five of them. Ryu collapsed to his knees and set his sword at his feet. Two men came forward to disarm him. As they did, he sprang to action and kicked their legs out from under them.

As he did, he hurled kunai at the others. The three kunai planted themselves in the barrels of the guns as they fired. The rifles blew out and the men fell back as Ryu surged forward and struck down the three of them with one spring.

"…I admit I'm surprised I managed even that." Said Ryu.

And then he felt a surge of agony in his back. He fell forward and looked back to see a man raising a pistol. Springing away he ran for it, hearing gunshots behind him. As he sprinted down the street, he saw sirens blaring and sprinted into a back alley. By some miracle they missed him, but he clambered over a wall and landed behind, like some common murderer.

Perhaps he was one.

"Where is Ayane?" wondered Ryu.

What was he doing here? He was no god in human form. No one could slaughter an entire Empire. He couldn't even defeat Doku and yet he charged off to face his assembled hosts!

Staggering on, he fell to his knees well he was finally safe. The pain he'd been blocking out returned and he reached up for the gunshot hole. He found nothing, though it was still painful. The armor had stopped the bullet, then.

He'd have a nasty bruise, though.

His mouth was parched and he drew up out the case of elixirs Irene Lew had given him. Opening it, he drew one out and drank of it. The feeling of water on his mouth felt heavenly, and he felt the strain, cuts, and bruises he'd felt fade away.

Four left now.

And he was still thirsty beyond belief. All this fighting had caused him to sweat massively and he was lightheaded. Staggering along the street, he saw a troop of soldiers rushing around the corner. Ducking to one side, he threw himself down by the wall and hoped to go unnoticed.

"He came this way and he's injured! Find him men! Gamov wants the Dragon Ninja dead or alive!" said the leader. Gamov again.

Why alive? And how could they know he was the Dragon Ninja unless… this was a setup. A was a pretense to draw out the security forces while another group slips in. That would make sense.

But he had no proof.

His thirst was unbearable. Rising up, Ryu staggered until he saw a water pump. Vision blurry, he felt down by it. Pulling aside his mask, he pushed the pump up and down. Water began to pour out and he drank of it like a man in the desert.

Was this water safe to drink? It didn't matter at this point. If he didn't stay hydrated he'd die far sooner than he'd get food poisoning.

He drank his fill and stood up. His mind was clearer now and he felt a bit better. He could do this, he just had to keep going. Though he still heard the occasional rattle of gunfire. Ryu walked along the streets, feeling drawn by some force.

Perhaps this was the Dark Dragon Blades' call as Murai said. Or perhaps something else. Whatever it was, he found himself on a balcony, saw two men with assault rifles and ducked. It was not a moment too soon because they unleashed a hail of bullets that slammed against the railing.

Ryu was going to wait until they ran out of ammunition, but that simply didn't happen. On and on the rattle went, because they were alternating their fire to cover one another. And the sound was going to draw soldiers to his location soon.

Looking to the stairs, he wondered if he could make a break for it and reach the street. No, they'd still be able to shoot him. And then a gun was put to the back of his head.

This was what, the third time he'd been out-stealthed by town guards? Ryu was perhaps the worst ninja in the history of the world.

"Hands in the air." Said the man.

Ryu rolled aside, grabbed the man's hand, pulled him down and grabbed him by the neck. Pulling himself upward he put the man between him and the gunners. Then he went for his kunai and realized that he was out.

Of course, he was out!

"Shoot damn you! For the Emperor!" cried the man being held hostage.

Moments later he was being blasted repeatedly by assault rifle rounds. Ryu had fallen back down. Back to square one except not he had a bloody corpse covering him and soaking him in gore. Perfect.

The guns halted as a squad of troops moved in around him. He went for his sword but was slammed with an electric baton. The shock sent him prone and he was pulled up, as they drew out handcuffs.

They were clustered around him.

Moving quickly, he broke their grip on him and used the incantations. Wheels of flame spewed out around him, burning the men. They screamed and scattered, bodies aflame as they were charred to death. Ryu ducked down as more gunfire continued.

How was he supposed to get past these without kunai?

His gaze fell on the guns his enemies had left behind. Guns were scorned by ninja as uncivilized and crude weapons. A finger painting compared to the art of ninjutsu.

It was only then that Ryu realized he had no idea how to use a gun.

He snatched it up anyway and rolled out of cover, firing at his enemies blinding. Not one of the shots connected and he felt a bullet strike him in the chest. Pained and prone, he crawled back beneath a barrage and tried to remember how they'd held guns. Grabbing another pistol, he held it in two hands this time and prayed for a miracle. Then he raised up and fired. One of the shots got a man in the face and he fell back spewing blood. The next caught the other in the shoulder and the third got him in the heart. That was a miracle, no doubt. Ryu had no experience with this weapon.

His enemies were dead.

Ryu lowered the gun, feeling more sullied than ever. Bad enough that he had killed all these people. But now he had done it using the very weapons that his clan had scorned for centuries. He felt sick and bitter as he staggered down the steps, facing his side.

He almost laughed.

Years of training, perfecting the art of ninjutsu. Learning to wield the killing styles developed over a thousand generations. In the end, his time would have been better spent with two months at a firing range.

What was the point of ninjutsu before such brutal simplicity?

He got his answer in the form of a corpse. It was a ninja, clad all in black. Ryu looked down at it and knew the emblem. "A Black Spider Ninja."

The man was wielding a set of nun-chucks.

This was the only body he'd seen that belonged to them so far. They had slaughtered their way through the security personnel with brutal ease. All the guns and grenades in the world had not been able to stop them.

So perhaps it was not ninjutsu that was deficient, so much as Ryu.

He staggered on, feeling like a dead man walking.

How many people had he killed? Just now? Just today? Real people with loved ones, not wicked revenants. How many more will I have to before the Dark Dragon Blade calls out to me? What would he do if Ayane was dead? She had all the contact information.

Ryu could hardly stand. He could not go on like this.

No, no, he must go on. If he didn't succeed here, all that had died would have died for nothing. He had to press on and retrieve the Dark Dragon Blade or Doku would… do something far more terrible with it. He was not sure of the details.

Revenge was secondary.

Then he heard the sound of sirens.

He had to get off these streets. Looking, he saw a doorway leading to a staircase. Rushing up it, he climbed the stairs quickly. As he did, he found a team of police slaughtered on them, hacked to pieces by blades.

Someone had climbed up here before him.

Ryu raced up the steps nonetheless and came to the top of the building. Above him, a great clocktower loomed and he walked to a metal fence that stopped people from falling. He saw nothing and no one.

And then the bell began to toll.

It rang once, twice, and thrice and then came the Black Spider Ninjas. They descended from on high, three in number and landed around him. Drawing his sword, Ryu attempted to keep his gaze on all at once. But this would be difficult.

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls." Said one. "It tolls for you."

"The Black Spider Ninja Clan. What are you doing here?" said Ryu.

"All roads lead to the pursuit of power for those who travel them far enough." Said the ninja. "The Dark Dragon Blade is too great a relic for your feeble clan to hold.

"The time of the Black Spider Ninja Clan is now!"

They surged forward and Ryu leaped over the one in front of him. Turning around he parried a series of strikes, desperately trying to ward off the assault. The three ninja worked with perfect coordination and he had no chance to attack. Even now they were trying to get around and flank him.

He needed a choke point.

Glancing to one side, he saw a room through a doorway. Sprinting for it, he turned and held the door.

The ninja hurled kunai that he parried. Wait, what was sizzling? Looking down he saw they were explosive kunai. Ryu glanced to one side and saw a sheer drop onto the street. It was his only chance and he leaped for it, even as the explosives rang behind him.

Rolling as he hit the ground, he felt the shock go through his body. But he was able to move on. His enemies would be behind him.

"Ninja on the roof! Open fire!" called a voice.

Ryu glanced back and saw the police fighting with the Black Spider Ninja Clan. So that was why they had gone through all this without a scratch. The three of them coordinated perfectly. They slaughtered all who got in their way without mercy or pity. Explosions mixed with grenades.

Ryu realized they had a very real chance of getting the Dark Dragon Blade. Better than he ever did. So he staggered onward, praying he wouldn't deliver the Dragon Sword into their hands as well. His vision blurred again and he collapsed to the ground, his strength gone.

"It is good I have so many enemies." He murmured. "Otherwise the one would have utterly destroyed me…"

Ryu had been wrong about everything.

Falling against a door, he felt it open inward and a hand took hold of his. He was pulled in and the door was bolted behind him. For a time he just lay there, feeling as though he was dead.

Then, slowly, he began to draw himself up.

He saw an old man, bent and bald with a short white beard. He was holding a sword in one hand, examining it, before putting it on the wall. At last, he turned to Ryu and picked up a tray that was on one counter. He brought it over and sat down, placing the tray before them.

Tea, perfectly hot as though Ryu had been expected.

Sitting crosslegged, Ryu stared at the old man, who sipped his tea. Finally, the old man looked at him. "Well, you've certainly had a busy day haven't you?"

"Where am I?" asked Ryu.

"In my shop." Said the old. "I noticed you in need and though I might lend a hand. Several times actually, though you might not have noticed the first few."

"You didn't report me." Noted Ryu.

"I am not what you could call involved in the politics of this world, young man." Said the old man. "I'm Muramasa, the legendary smith. I don't ordinarily take sides.

"Even so the Dragon Sword isn't something that can fall into the wrong hands. Doku has power enough as it is. It would be unhealthy for him to get more."

"For all the good it would do him." Scoffed Ryu. "If the Sword rejects me what good could it do him."

"Rejects?" asked the old man. "I think you misunderstand. The Dragon Sword reflects the soul of the one who wields it. When the soul is clouded by rage, guilt, or doubt, it cannot cut as well. Only by freeing oneself from such attachments can one wield the True Dragon Sword."

"Well, then it is forever beyond my reach." Muttered Ryu, pulling away his mask in disgust. "I've killed dozens of men for nothing. At this stage, the Black Spider Ninja Clan will get the Dark Dragon Blade, or Doku will keep it.

"I'm getting out of here. At least I can deny them the Dragon Sword, so someone else can use it against them."

"So quick to abandon your quest?" asked Muramasa.

"Getting the Dark Dragon Blade back was just an excuse." Admitted Ryu. "I was angry and vengeful and stupid. If I couldn't defeat Doku before, how could I do it here in the heart of his power?

"All I'm accomplishing is feeding the Dark Dragon Blade and ending the lives of innocent people."

Muramasa nodded. "Your cynicism is not misplaced. That is all you've accomplished so far, though innocence is a matter for debate.

"Of course, you'll have to consider what might happen if Doku wins. Or if the Black Spider Ninja Clan wins. The Dark Dragon Blade is a sword with immense potential. The one who wields it might create a new dark age for this world.

"It is possible that America might be able to sort this out, I suppose. But they tend to use a hammer rather than a scalpel. Nuclear war is not out of the question you know. And it may be preferable to some of the alternatives."

Ryu looked at him and wondered why he trusted this man so much. "Are you suggesting I could succeed? I'm not even worthy of wielding the blade I hold. Let alone the True Dragon Sword.

"Without that I…

"I am unworthy." It was a statement of fact.

The old man sighed. "Your tea is getting cold. You should drink it while it is still hot.

"As for being worthy or unworthy, very few people are worthy of what they are charged with. If anything the fact that you realize that much shows progress on your part. Costly though it was, you seem to have gained some measure of wisdom.

"You have become aware of how abhorrent your own soul is. "The first stage of solving a problem is awareness of what the problem is."

"And you think killing even more police officers is going to cleanse me of my darkness?" asked Ryu, taking up the tea in hand.

Muramasa considered that. "Probably not, no.

"Ordinarily I'd suggest you go on a journey, perhaps spend time as a monk. But the world is running out of time. Meditating on mountaintops is all well and good. But one cannot let a search for enlightenment get in the way of the moment.

"This is a war.

"All the forces of darkness are seeking the Dark Dragon Blade. So too are all the forces of light. Who achieves the sword may determine the fate of the world. Do you really want that power in the hands of Doku? Or a politician in Washington?"

Ryu sipped from the cup and put it down. His thoughts cleared and he breathed out as tension poured away. "I can't leave."

Muramasa nodded. "Not in good conscience, no.

"So you must press on. You must finish your mission or die in the attempt."

"And why would you help me?" asked Ryu. "I don't understand."

Muramasa paused, thinking for a long moment. "The world is filled with people who act because they are farsighted or have grand visions for new world order. What it is lacking in is people who act because it is the right thing to do.

"I think you might become the latter someday." Then he finished his tea and walked back to his weapons. There were so many of them. For a moment Ryu thought there might be millions behind the counter, but that was absurd. This shop was small.

Or was it?

Muramasa came back with a set of kunai. "Take these. Try not to waste them. And don't worry about the expense. I was paid in advance by your friend, Ayane. I'm to supply you with replacements for any equipment broken.

"She also left a letter for you." And he drew it out of his pocket and offered it to Ryu.

Ryu took it and opened it up. His eyes scanned through it quickly.

Master Ryu,

You must now go to Han's Bar. You should be able to spot it thanks to the garish neon sign. Han's Bar is a well-known watering hole, as well as the center of Vigoor's underground intelligence. There you may find clues about Doku's whereabouts.

-Signed,

Ayane

Ryu bit his lip. The paper looked worn and old. "When were you given this letter, Muramasa?"

"Several months ago." Said Muramasa.

"Several months?" asked Ryu. "Someone has been setting this up for a long time. These different factions didn't all end up here at the same time by accident." He paused. "But whoever left this message must have known I might ask about that much.

"Why leave such an obvious trail?"

"Perhaps carelessness, perhaps contempt. Or perhaps something else." Said Muramasa. "Truth be told, I wouldn't concern yourself with the matter. Focus on the moment, what you can do now. What you can achieve to better yourself and others.

"Longterm plans always go astray, however, well they are plotted."

"I'll see these ones derailed presently." Said Ryu, standing up.

"That's the spirit." Said Muramasa. "Have fun at the nightclub, I've got a commission to finish.

Ryu rose up and finally felt capable of doing this. He was pained, but he could work through his pains. The gunfire had died down now, and it was secure.

Opening the door he walked out.

Author's Note:

This chapter was long delayed for no particular reason. I'm not sure why I just lacked inspiration. For one thing, I wasn't really sure how to go about setting things up.

The fundamental problem I've had is in giving Ryu an arc.

Ultimately I decided to deconstruct his status as an invincible hero. See, when you play Ninja Gaiden you are not invincible. When you play Ninja Gaiden you get ripped to shreds dozens of times on the mega hard boss fights. Even normal enemies are leagues ahead of most hack and slash games. Ryu is only invulnerable because you reset time again and again until he wins.

So I figured, why not make Ryu end up feeling like the player?