- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -

a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh


CHAPTER ELEVEN: Sho



Translations:
niisan - elder brother
iie - no
-chan - honourific used for relations, children, or close friends
-sama - honourific used for formality and higher people (respected people, gods etc.)
doshita no? - what's wrong?
nan de? - why?
baka - fool
naratte imasu - you're learning
shoubu - fight
iya - no (used more as an interjection)
sensei - teacher; used by students
ne - used at end of phrases to ask for agreement to the statement made
yosha - all right
wakaranai - I don't understand
soredemo - but still
sayonara - good-bye
demo - but
daijobu yo - don't worry
sou ne - you're right


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Eiji wasn't sure what he did just then. He later recalled that it was maybe a stupid laugh. Whatever the case, Eiji knew he had completely forgot (as he had a habit of doing) what Gaia had told him earlier.
"N-niisan!!" he exclaimed happily. "This is great! I haven't seen you for so long!"
Sho cast his eyes down to the ground, then looked back up, scarlet eyes dimmed and stolen of...something. "Iie...Eiji..."
"I'm so glad to see you! What are you doing in these parts? I've gone all over the world looking for you, niisan!"
Sho said nothing. He continued to watch Eiji with a look that was a mix of sorrow, guilt, pity, and...something else. Something, perhaps, that Eiji couldn't see. Or understand...
Eiji noticed this. "Doshita no, niisan? What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Their eyes met for a split second, red against red. Sho sighed, his other, slightly weaker facade quickly slipping away, replaced with a look of cold stone. "Eiji, you were always so naïve. Too much for your own good. And I see that hasn't changed." He glanced at his little brother, his eyes seemingly glowing red in the dark. "Have you forgotten Gaia-sama's warning already?"
Eiji was confused. "What do you mean? I--"
Then he remembered.
"Your brother works for us now. If you know what's wise, you will leave now. We are getting angry. And soon your time will run out. Even you, Eiji Shinjo, cannot defeat your brother. The end is coming. Only destruction awaits."
His mouth dropped open slightly, and he stared at his elder brother disbelievingly. "Niisan, nan de...?"
"I have nothing more to say to you, Eiji." In one quiet, fluid motion, a shining silver samurai katana was unsheathed. And a fighting stance was taken up, one taught to Eiji himself quite a many years ago. "I will make this fast and clean."
"Niisan, what the--" Eiji didn't have time to finish his sentence. Sho held his sword tightly and slashed down at his brother. Fortunately, even though it was very unexpected, Eiji was able to roll out of the way in time. "What the hell are you doing, niisan? Why did you join them? Why turn against me? Against us?? Why??"
Sho didn't answer, but continued his attempts to strike his little brother. He slashed twice, both attacks narrowly avoided, followed up by a roundhouse kick that smashed Eiji in the face. Eiji hit the ground hard, blood dripping from his nose. He gazed up at his brother, his hero, his mentor...who was now seemingly trying to kill him. Sho glared down at him, face tight.
"Fight me, baka. Get out our family's sword and fight me."
"I won't!"
"Fine."
Sho's assault resumed with that word. He kicked Eiji while he was on the ground, causing the younger of the Shinjos to double up in pain. The next thing Eiji felt was the metal of a katana blade biting into his side. Drops of his blood stained the ground, while his mind was a maelstrom of physical and mental pain. Eiji staggered to his feet slowly to meet his brother's gaze. Sho's eyes were cold. Eiji's eyes was wounded. "Why do this to me, niisan? Why, to me? I'm your brother, dammit!"
"Do you think I don't know that?" Sho spat angrily. "Look, Eiji, this is something I have to do. I'm sorry, forgive me, and all the rest of that crap. I have my orders."
"From who??" Eiji snarled in distinct frustration. "Why would you follow an order to kill your own brother?"
Sho raised his sword. "Was that the order I received? How are you so sure of what I'm thinking? Of what I'm doing? You are too quick in your judgements, Eiji. That was always a problem you had."
Eiji stood there quietly, contemplating this. Just what the hell does he mean by that...?
He was jerked out of his thoughts, however, when Sho held his katana high above his head, and it started sparking with ki. In one quick motion, Sho brought down the sword, the ki forming in the shape of a large ball. But instead of slashing once like Eiji did, he slashed twice, down and then sideways. And two fireballs formed, each the same size and holding a magnitude of power. "Rekkuzan!!"
Eiji yelped, and quickly dodged one then rolled away from the other. He stood up shakily and glared. "All right, niisan...there's no choice left for me now..." With that, Eiji unsheathed the Byakko no Tachi and brought it up in his fighting stance, a mirror image of his brother's. Eiji stood, waiting for Sho to attack. There was a still moment of silence, broken when Sho observed Eiji's change of heart with a small smile.
"Naratte imasu, Eiji. I see my teachings were not a waste after all."
"Throwing your life away on the Himitsu Kessha was a waste, niisan! You've dishonoured our name and you're going to pay for it!!"
"Shoubu, Eiji. Now the real battle begins."
The two brothers charged at each other, swords clashing wildly, sparks flying, their yells breaking the silence of the forest. Eiji attempted to perform a Hishouzan, but Sho saw it coming and blocked deftly, then took Eiji out while he was in the air with a Scottish Moon. Eiji fell to the ground, gripping his sword tightly. Sho landed on his feet with ease. Eiji lay there for a second, waiting for his older brother to do something. When Sho finally did, it was a swift kick in Eiji's side and an sharp instruction in a gutteral tone.
"Get up. The fight's not over yet."
Eiji slowly did as he was told, fire burning in his red eyes. Despite his injuries, he dashed towards Sho quickly, feet barely touching the ground. When he was in close proximity, Eiji jumped into the air steathily, then shot downwards in a fiery Ryuseikyaku that he put much of his power into. Sho only stood there, watching, and as soon as Eiji was close enough, he executed a fast Hishouzan, knocking Eiji out of the air and to the ground a second time. Eiji struggled to his knees, trying to get up, but failed. He fell back to the terrain again with a small yell, blood freely running from his wounds. Sho walked towards his younger brother's form, sword at his side. Eiji shakily raised his, ready to defend himself. Sho, however, stopped right in front of him.
"Eiji, I am very disappointed. That was not much of a fight you put up. I suppose the end shall come now." He smirked. "The Burning Yamato Soul. Let's see how brightly you burn once your flame goes out."
Sho lifted his sword, preparing to strike the final blow.
Eiji winced, preparing for the end. The end at his brother's hand.
Iya...
But just then, fate, in its infinite power and wisdom, decided to intrude.
Well, if it wasn't fate, it sure was someone. A very angry someone.
"SHOULDER CRRRRRUUUUUUSSSSSHHH!!!!!"
Sho yelled in pain and staggered forward a few feet as the dark forest was lit up by yellow sparks, and a massive, powerful split kick hit him in the back, causing him to nearly stumble to his knees. He recovered quickly and whirled around angrily. Eiji's head turned. And they both saw that someone had decided to join in the battle.
"Heh. Surprised to see me, sensei? The feeling's mutual. This one's gonna be for my father."
Kayin Amoh, in his red shoulder-padded jacket, long reddish-blond hair and aqua-green eyes that appeared to be colder than ever, stood leaning against a tree, a slight sneer on his face. He walked towards the two siblings and unsheathed Excalibur. Sho was not impressed in the least.
"So, Kayin, you've come to fight me as well. This large a reunion was not expected."
Kayin walked over to Eiji calmly and helped him to his feet. Once they were at eye level, Kayin grinned. "All's forgiven, ne, Eiji-chan? I say we kick some ass."
Eiji smiled weakly, pleased with this turn of events. "Yosha. Let's do it."
"I was hoping you'd say that. Now..." Kayin and Eiji took up their stances together,side by side, identical, something that had not been done since their early days of training. "As the song goes, let's get ready to rumble."
Sho merely watched the two, still, unmoving. Eiji finally had to say something.
"So, what's the matter, niisan? We're not backing out of this..."
"...And neither are you," Kayin finished mockingly.
Sho glared at his two students, then sighed and took up his stance. "Very well. Let's get on with it."
Still seething with quiet rage, Kayin wasted no time in opening up the fight. He dashed towards Sho and attempted a high roundhouse followed by a low sweep. Sho calmly blocked the kick and swept him instead. Kayin fell to the ground, but Eiji took to the air above him and tried a jump-in thrusting slash. Sho stepped out of the way. Eiji landed, whirled around, and slid towards his brother, feet against the ground. "Shugekidan!!"
"Not so easy, Eiji!" Sho countered with the same attack, and they both got knocked backwards.
Meanwhile, Kayin was behind Sho, charging his ki into Excalibur. Kayin raised his sword and sliced it down with a yell of "Sonic Slash!!", igniting a blast of yellow fire. Sho lifted his sword, and shot one Rekkuzan towards Kayin, which easily burned through the Sonic Slash and hit him in the chest, then he turned and tossed the other one at Eiji, who managed to block it just in time. Eiji ran back into the fight, roaring "Mukurowari!!", jumping a short distance forward off the ground, performing a quick somersault and neatly slicing his sword down in an overhead slash. Sho, however, flipped backwards, and started to gather massive waves of purple energy into his sword. Kayin ran up to meet Eiji.
"What the hell is he doing? We never learned that!"
"Goddammit," Eiji whispered. "Not that...niisan..."
Sho hefted his sword, glowing with ki, above his head, and cut downwards, bringing forth a giant sparking fireball, bigger than both Eiji and Kayin. Eiji's eyes flew open.
"Kayin-chan, block it!!!"
The two held their swords out in front of them, partially dissapating the enormous blast of energy, but it was only a short time before they were exploded off their feet and to the ground. Due to his previous injuries, Eiji did not get up as fast as Kayin, who sprung to his feet in a split second, and with a yell of pure emotion and anger, shot towards Sho, surrounded by blue sparks.
"Hell's GATE!!!"
Sho held his sword out, ready to block, until Kayin threw out a feint. Sho blocked quickly, but then was left open. Kayin took the opportunity and moved in. The air around the two exploded in blue flame and sparks, as Kayin lifted Sho higher and higher into the air with a volley of aerial roundhouse kicks. They plummeted back down to the earth, Sho crashing to the ground but quickly springing back up again, holding his side with a streak of blood running down his face, Kayin landing gracefully on his feet with a snarl.
"That was for my father. And this is from me!!!" Kayin's body blurred into a mass of rainbow-coloured axe kicks, as he performed his spectacular special move, the Rainbow Splash. It almost hit, but Sho rolled out of the way deftly, and nailed Kayin in the back with a Hishouzan that sent his student flying to the ground in pain. Sho stood up, regarding his Scottish student with distaste.
"Don't get too overconfident, Kayin-chan. That will get you punished quite severely. I believe I tried to teach you that in particular, ne?"
It was only then that Sho remembered Eiji, who he currently had his back to.
And it was a little too late.
"ENJIN-SHURAHA!!"
Sho turned around in time to see his little brother lift his sword high, lean back, then snap forward and release two elaborate balls of fire, one of which blasted him in the face, the other knocking him down. Eiji quickly ran over to Kayin and helped him up, both of them scratched and bleeding. The two observed their sensei's still form.
"I think you got him, Eiji-chan," Kayin said, glancing at his friend with a look of approval. "I never learned that move either. Why do you two get all the fireballs?"
Eiji grinned. "But I never learned your fancy Shoulder Crush-thing." He looked over at his older brother. He hesistated a moment, balancing out in his mind as to what he should do. His eyes clouded over with pain, as he was flooded with memories that were forever locked in his young mind, flashbacks of childhood days alone with his brother, training under his tutelage, their parent's death...and what Sho had said to him soon after.
"Don't worry, Eiji. As long as we have each other, everything will be all right."
God, niisan, Eiji thought, why did you have to go and do this? He finally just shrugged, and motioned to his friend. "Come on, Kayin-chan. Looks like this battle is over."
The two turned and started to walk away, but then...
"Not yet."
"Huh?"
"What?"
Eiji and Kayin whipped around to see Sho shakily getting up. He was just as beat-up as they were, if not more. Sho stood to his full height of close to six feet, looking down on his two students with a look of calm anger, if there was such a thing.
"Now, you two have had your fun. I think I will show you a trick that you never learned."
With that, Sho once more began to gather sparkling ki into his sword. His tall form blurred, and it moved towards the shocked Eiji and Kayin. Before they could react, Sho was in front of them, yelling "EMMA-RESSHUSAI!!" and started to perform a multiple of super-powered grounded Hishouzans, his blade whirling and slicing both Eiji and Kayin massively. Finally, the assault ended when Sho pooled his ki and exploded into the air in one last Hishouzan, sending Eiji and Kayin backwards off their feet and crashing into the ground. Sho observed his two students, lying broken and semi-concious on the ground. He smiled.
"I wouldn't have killed you two anyway. I did have my orders, but they should know that I follow no one."
Sho turned, but he heard the familiar voice behind him.
"W-what...do...you mean?"
Sho looked over his shoulder, then turned around in almost disbelief. Eiji was shakily getting to his feet, crimson blood trickling down his face and arms from the various and large cuts all over his body. "N-niisan...nan...de?"
His brother smiled again, but more sadly this time. "I wouldn't have killed you. Or Kayin-chan. That was only about half of my power that I used against you. Perhaps even less than that. You two will survive. And hopefully come out better because of your defeat here today." Sho looked up at the moon, which hung in the sky like a glowing orb. "I just wish I could tell you two..."
"Tell us what?" Kayin was getting off the ground too, with Eiji's help.
Sho glanced downwards, sighed, and looked back at his students. "I wish I could tell you two that I'm sorry, and it's not how it seems. It never is. Not here. Not in the Toshindaibukai."
Eiji stepped forward a few paces and quietly said, "Niisan...wakaranai..."
But Sho simply turned his back to him, and answered, "I know you don't, Eiji. You won't for a long time to come. And Kayin..." Kayin looked up in surprise. "You won't understand why I had to execute your father. But I did, and the past cannot be changed. Nor can the future be seen." He paused, as if trying to decide whether to say something else. "However, beware. This has started everything, as Cupido-kun warned you, Eiji. It was under my order that she do so. Soredemo, she is coming now. I know she will. But even after you destroy her, as I have faith you two will, since I see that you have become much stronger and skilled, you, Eiji, and you, Kayin, and the other Toshin fighters will one day end up walking into ruin. And they will be waiting for you. And then it will be up to you to save them all...my students. Sayonara. But only for now."
With that, Sho disappeared completely into the blackness, without a trace. Kayin's eyes widened, and Eiji gasped in surprise. Eiji took another couple steps forward, to the spot where his brother had just stood, and bit his lower lip. It didn't help. A single tear rolled down his blood-stained cheek.
"Niisan...why did it have to be this way?" Eiji looked up, eyes glistening, into the starry night sky. "I...I tried to be like you. I really did...but I'm not, and I--I can't be. I don't understand why you did this...demo...demo, daijobu yo. I forgive you...niisan."
"Eiji-chan." Kayin walked up behind his best friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "Ya know, one thing I've learned about life is that there's too many questions and not enough answers. But they usually get figured out in time."
Eiji looked back at his best friend and greatest rival, who he knew had had more that his fair share of bad luck in life. "Sou ne, Kayin-chan. It can wait."
Kayin smiled approvingly, and turned back towards the path where they had come from. "Come on. Let's go back and find the girls. Your girlfriend is probably worried about you."
Eiji grinned weakly and punched Kayin. "Shut up."
The two laughed and started off, but then, something caused them to stop.
A dark shadow was cast across the ground in front of them. Eiji and Kayin looked up.
There was a silhouette in front of the moon.
A winged silhouette.

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