~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"One day after the other, I saw pools of blood forming from the people I slay. I can hear their screams of pain, I can hear their cries of misery. But I feared that we might never see our only parent again. That's why I have to fight… that's why… I have to kill…"
"The next target was Noroi, the monster who killed half of our troops. You lost... That's what I always wanted to say. I'm better… That's what I always wanted to think. But what for? For what importance is it to be better than someone? I don't know the reason. That's why… not even once, did I ever mentioned those words."
~ I was five… when I first saw that light… and on that same age, I began to hold 'that' weapon…~
Chapter 2 – I Don't Want to be Alone anymore
"Uruha B and C faction, this is the Assistant Commander of the Uruha Special Forces, Mikoto. The target has been discovered in point 1204. By the orders of the Commander, I command B faction to fire at will on their designated positions while the C faction to surround the target's hideout. Prepare for a hand to hand combat as I say so. We have been given five minutes to finish the assassination process. Wait for my signal before the attack. Disregard any injuries and fight to the death. After this mission, we will be rewarded with a winter vacation for a week."
"Please… I beg of you… spare me…" pleaded a dying soldier of about three hundred pounds. Noroi stayed standing before him, facing down to a face of blood, he asked, "doth you desire the power?" the soldier stared at him in return. But with eyes with that of begging for help. "I can give it to you, only if you wish." he added. "Power? Yes. I desire the power." Answered the soldier with a mix of joy and excitement within him. "Then wear my mask, and you will gain power that would exceed that of mine." Noroi commanded as he takes off his silver mask and handing it to an innocent victim. Not knowing what the consequences may be, the man decided not to push his luck and wears the mask on his face. And after a while, he heard a voice. A voice coming from a dimension he never knew where. "Come with me… I am Bakuju…" "Bakuju?" "Yes. I am Bakuju… you and I are one… and with our cursed existence, we are called Noroi…" And he heard the voice no more. For one reason that is… Bakuju has already forsaken his innocent mind. And as the former Noroi rots on the ground, a new Noroi in a white jacket and silver pants began to stand. And on his first step, he smelled another prey…
Noroi charges another soldier. This time holding his neck and raising him up six feet above the ground. "I don't need your body…" Noroi murmured, "you're too weak. And weaklings don't deserve to live." Noroi positioned his other fist about two to three feet away from the head of his victim, and then, he began to swing his hand.
After Noroi felt his fist hit an object, he felt a little puzzled. "How hard. It's the first time I haven't broke my prey's skull." He said. "Damn you... I won't allow you to take another life again." The commander said as he removes his golden blade from covering the face of his personnel and charges to Noroi. "Commander Koganei!" Everyone shouted in excitement as their frown of fear slowly turned into a smile of joy.
Noroi responded with several punches, all which were easily dodged by the commander. As Noroi began to slow down, he saw a face of a killer. Koganei glared at him with evil eyes, and he was petrified. "There is no place in this world for an evil soul like you, Bakuju." Koganei announced as he cuts down one of Noroi's arm, and he was knocked down on his knees after blood abundantly flow out from his open cut.
"Such a wonderful body. Now I desire even more power." Bakuju whispered. As he was about to fly out of Noroi's head once again, Koganei pointed his blade straight to Bakuju. "You're not going anywhere. Stay where you are, if you do not want me to ease your existence." Koganei warned who still wears the evil looks. Bakuju stopped his movements, and he floated motionless several centimeters above the man's neck.
"Now Noroi, or should I say Bakuju, answer me. Why do you protect that man?" "What man? Do you mean Shoguro?" asked the cursed mask. "Definitely." "Don't get me wrong, kid. I'm not protecting that politician." "Then why are you with him? And why are you attacking us?" "Perhaps you have already heard about my legend. I am a weapon, created to possess strong bodies making them fighting machines. I knew that your group is already tracing down this politician because of a certain disagreement with your leader. Because I knew that your soldiers have powerful bodies readily made for combat, and in order to possess a more powerful body, I decided to offer my help to that man. That's why I'm here today. Not having the will of helping that guy but instead, having the will to possess a more powerful body." "So your saying you just want their bodies?" "Hahaha… your amusing kid. I can say you're even more amusing than your father. I like you."
Koganei stopped for a moment and his eyes turned back to its original state. He stares at Noroi with big eyes of shock. "You know my father?" "Of course I do. As a matter of fact, he was the one who created me." "Who would make you think I would believe you? You have been roaming around the world for five hundred years now. How could a person stay alive for five hundred years and still give birth to me?" Koganei asked. "I am not lying. This is the truth. Aside from me, your father created a lot more weapons. Some of their powers exceeds even that of mine. That's why I continue to search for a stronger body. In order to destroy those weapons… and in order to prove that those weapons are inferior to me." "Hmm… alright. If so, you probably would know the strongest weapon my father created?" "Its power was really frightful. Even I hesitated to go near it. Because going near it would only mean death. The name of that madougu is… Te…"
Bakuju suddenly felt a sharp blade slicing him from top to bottom. And after that, several strikes and slices came after. Shortly, he could felt his body being thrown in all directions as his hair flew together with the cold winter breeze.
~ I had enough of your lies… my father, protected us with all his life… I will not… I will not allow anyone to badmouth my father… ~
Koganei ended the battle with his evil persona. Holding his Golden Blade, he left the scene of carnage, as well as those bodies slowly being covered by the cold snow. Soon, he saw smoke coming out from the hut north of him. It was no doubt, the hut where Shoguro was in. He sighed, seeing those flames constantly rushing up the sky. His eyes followed the smoke as it went higher and higher to the sky. "Another fatality…" he whispered. "Is this the reason why I live? That I should continue killing as long as Kurei says so?"
After a few hours, he returned to their quarters with the rest of the soldiers with a successful mission to report. And after a long day, he lay against his bed and pulled his white blanket. Looking at the star shining from outside the window, his tears involuntarily crawls out from his eyes. Not knowing the real reason, he closes his eyes slowly. Trying to keep more of them down, he began to take another day off with his dreams. And he did it, with a hesitant smile.
******
"Just what do you think your doing again, Raiha?" Fuuko asked angrily. "I almost proved to him that I've won but then you appeared." She added. "Err… sorry about that. I thought you were losing so I pulled you out of the battle." Raiha explained. "Losing? It's so obvious that Recca is down. Who would think I'm losing, you idiot?" Fuuko replied. "Err… gomen gomen… I'm so stupid. But there is still tomorrow right?" responded a grinning Raiha who is still trying to calm Fuuko down. "Sigh… what can I do to a retarded person like you? You've already pulled me too far away for Recca to escape. But next time, stay out of our battle. Or else, I'll put the beating on you." Answered the girl as she walks away from Raiha.
After Raiha sees Fuuko too distant away to see him, he left on the opposite direction, thinking deeply of the scene he just saw. "Could it be that this guy is already in the process of awakening? But 'she' hasn't appeared before him yet. It couldn't be just possible for him to have that kind of aura in his current state. What could be the real reason?"
"Where am I?" "So Recca, you're already awake. I told you never to go into any trouble because you're still not fully healed after your last fight." Shigeo explained. "Wha? It was Fuuko who tried to pick a fight with me. I tried to avoid her but she attacked me so I have no choice but to defend myself." Recca answered. "Err… who could avoid her anyway? That mad dog always wanted to pick up fights with anyone. I think we should rather forget about her. Just get rested up so you'll heal quickly. If you need anything, just call me." Shigeo responded as he walks away from Recca's room still biting his cigar. Recca looked the other way and closed the lamp beside him. He began to close his eyes, preparing to sleep, and be drifted to his mysterious dreams once again.
******
"Sigh… I had enough for now. Thanks a lot girl, here's your tip for today." Mokuren giggled as he handed a colored paper with 100 marked on it beside a symbol of a revised letter Y. "Where's my clothes? Have you seen them?" Mokuren asked. Ganko silently hands the white long sleeved cloth to Mokuren, facing the other way. "Thanks a lot, girl. Be seein' ya." Mokuren replied as he takes his cloth from the little palm of a young innocent child and walks away. Ganko hugged herself tightly as Mokuren exits the dark house. Still seeing her red dress several inches away from her, she cried silently. And the pain she felt constantly becomes worse. "Brother… please come home. I don't want to be with that man anymore. I don't want to live forever like this. Please help me… I don't want to be alone anymore…" Ganko whispered softly while looking at her little yellow doll. Soon, she feels her eyes becoming too heavy for her too keep it open. And after she feels the cold winter breeze coming from outside, she slowly closed her eyes. Waiting for another nightmare in her endless dreams… again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*