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~ Seven-teen years ago, when I was born, father always told me stories about mother giving birth to me together with a snake. However, this snake is not an ordinary snake. It has a whitish blue scale and doesn't possess any tongue. Father told her, that I am a good luck to our family, but mother wouldn't listen. She told father that to be born together with "That" creature… would mean chain deaths.
One day, when I was ten, father breathes his last. After his death, mother entrusted me to a master swordsman named Megure Kyousa. Under his teachings, he told me to value honor more than life. That I must never disgrace Hyoumon Ken no matter what's the cause. Whether it be my friend or my family… those who opposes me must die.
Mother never knew that I could overcome the teachings of Hyoumonken. Because ever since I was young, she wanted me to die. She wanted that because she believed I was the one responsible for father's demise and our bad luck. She believed snakes are that of the reincarnation of the serpent that persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruit… and she believed that because I was born with that snake, I am the devil within it.
She decided to enroll me to that dojo. Because inability to overcome it's teachings would spell certain death. With such a young age, no one would be surprised if I die under his teachings. However, I survived this ultimate torture she has thrown me into. I survived being engulfed by the cruel waves of the sea. I survived falling from the moat of swords. I survived being burned by the flames of hell. Now… she should pay the price, of making my life, a miserable living hell.
By the time I completed Hyou Mon Ken, my ultimate goal was to find that lady who made me suffer. But when I returned home, her presence is no where to be found. I knew it. She has fled because of this miracle granted to me by God.
For that mission of finding her, I decided to join a group of underground assassins called the Ura Uruha, as one of the Five Guardian Swords. However, her presence meant nothing to me anymore as I work with them. Whether she'd be alive or dead, I don't care. I've already gone this far… and I will not mislead my own life for that matter of avenging myself. I will continue to live and die with blood. As long as I see a prey, I will continue to kill. But at a time when no one seems to be eligible to be one, I will make myself… my own prey… I am… Tokiya Mikagami ~
Chapter 5 – Crystal Ice, The Dark Water Saga
Tokiya walks farther and farther away from Raiha. As he began to feel alone in the darkness, a shining light caught his attention. "It was Ensui." He said as he looks at his left fist, which lifted the water sword. "You have been loyal to me, and I have been loyal to you." He whispered as he continues to walk towards a seemingly endless land. Not knowing what possible disaster may he encounter nor seeing the target he was assigned to kill.
"Full moon." He whispered again with the same elevation of voice as he retracts his attention to the bright blue ball hanging on the sky. "Heh… how amusing, isn't it… Kagero?" He exclaimed with a louder voice making it possible to reach the addressee's ear.
From the dark shadow formed from a tall building before Tokiya, and a visage slowly separates itself from it. "Nice move, Tokiya." Greeted the shadow lady with a smile, "I never knew your nerves are keener than before." She added.
Tokiya greeted her in return with an evil grin. Several inches away from her, he pointed his sword directly to Kagero's face. "Move out, or I have no choice but to kill you." Tokiya demanded.
"My, my… a little hot aren't we today? You usually ain't that kind of a swordsman." She answered. "What I do, is none of your business." Responded the water swordsman.
And Tokiya never did waste any more time negotiating. He made an offensive stance, and began to thrust his sword towards Kagero. Kagero draws her own weapon in response to Tokiya's Ensui, the Hair animating Shikigami.
Kagero unleashes about a dozen of hardened strands of hairs pointed towards the swordsman. "Die!" she shouted as the pointed hairs rushes towards her opponent. Mikagami stopped his attack for awhile and stabs the ground with the water sword. "Hyou mon Ken, Zettai Reido." With that chant, a large block of eyes protected him from the hair. And then, he continued his attack from behind the wall with another chant. "Mizu no Hebi!" That was the shout Kagero heard from Tokiya. After a split second of silence, the snake of water shatters the ice wall and rushes directly to Kagero.
She tried to move away from the snake, however, the snake is more agile than that of her feet. Directly to her heart, the snake of water pierced through it and breaks through her body and runs out to infinity away from the hyou mon ken master.
"Kagero… I pity you, however, you must know that my power is unmatched by mere fighters like you." Tokiya announced as he stands before the shadow lady lying down on a pool of blood. "I'm in the mood, so I guess I'll spare your life for now." Tokiya said as he continues to walk towards the direction he has pointed himself to. But before he could walk a meter away from Kagero, he heard her voice once again. "Tokiya Mikagami, I will not… I will not allow you to kill the fifth color." Burning with his short-tempered mind, he grins back to Kagero with his even colder eyes. "So that means you know where that guy is hiding. If you can tell me where he is, I will reward you by aiding your wound. How's that?" Tokiya offered as he walks towards the wounded lady once again.
Holding her open wound on her heart, she faced the water swordsman fearlessly with her own cold eyes. "You think I will tell you where he is? If I tell you his location now, he'd surely be dead. But after a few minutes, you'll be the one who's dead." Responded Kagero.
"Is that so? Then perhaps I have no other choice but to eliminate you, mother." Tokiya replied as he raises his sword once again. "How wonderful… to hear that word once again, Tokiya. I never thought you'd call me by that name again." Responded Kagero with her own smile of joy. "Silence. For the likes of you, I would need not give you a single respect." Tokiya announced as he stabs Kagero's forehead with his sword passing through the back. Kagero felt the pain, and blood abundantly gushes out from her head. With that single blow, Tokiya turns around and left the scene of carnage, and after a while, a lady was lying there motionless with an even larger pool of blood, which she lays against formed.
******
"Where's Mokuren? Where the hell is that man?" Koganei shouted as he kept on slamming several vases and household appliances. "I tell you… he hasn't came back home. He'll be back by tomorrow because he is attending an important meeting in the hospital." Mikoto answered. "Fine. Then tell me where he is." Koganei responded with the same cold eyes but seemingly a little colder than that of Tokiya. "Alright… in the hospital three blocks left of Ishijima no Hana." Replied a panicking Mikoto.
Koganei left without a word as he slams the door. Bearing one target in mind, the death of a man who harassed his sister. He speeds up his movements like that of an assassin. Running towards the designated target.
"Hey, bitch. I guess I've saved your life." Mikoto commented as she calls her husband out. "That little devil is really a nuisance. Come with me… we'll put an end to those two once and for all." Mokuren answered as he takes out a sphere with the word wood engraved on it. "Kodama, once again I call upon your power. Lend me your hand this once." Mokuren shouted as he punches it to his body, burying it directly to his heart.
******
On the other side of the same country, Tokiya finally stepped on a tall building, looking directly below a quiet town trying to trace down the target. After a few minutes of silence, Tokiya felt a sudden rise of power. He couldn't be mistaken. It was the target's power. He prepared to jump down from the top of the building, and he did. Bearing the will to eliminate the person they call… the fifth color of light.
End of Chapter 5
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