Chapter 10

Hamtaro stared into the eyes of his opponent, Joe. He felt so much evil aura in Joe. He feels much more evil this time. He really wants to kill me. I need to find out what's blocking me from using my ultimate attack.

"I shall end my revenge once I kill you!" Joe said. He unsheathed the tetsusaiga and pointed it at Hamtaro.

"I will not be defeated this time!" Hamtaro unsheathed the ryusaiga"I won't die in a place like this! I will save Bijou." He pointed it at Joe.

At the top of the tower the Devil ham turns the stake around.

"What do you want now devil ham!" Bijou asked.

"Come take a look." He answered. Bijou saw a blue circle portal looking thing. It showed an image of Hamtaro and Joe standing with their swords pointed at each other.

"Hamtaro!"

"There is no way he can defeat Joe! He was defeated earlier without Joe using his full power. So don't get your hopes up!"

Hamtaro.

Back in the battle room…

"Let's do this Hamtaro!" Joe gets into a low crouching position. He's using the Kofuku Zettousei?

"Watoujitsu Senran Tousei!" Instead he charges forward and spins turning into a hamster tornado. Hamtaro tries to block some of it but Joe performs a wide slash making the attack spin faster and stronger and the attack hits Hamtaro. It doesn't stop as Joe's attack rips up everything around him as he tries to hit Hamtaro again. Hamtaro staggers back. There was one attack that was able to hit him during our last battle. I'd better use it.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Style Kuzu Ryu Sen!" However just as he was about to perform the nine simultaneous slash beams Joe stopped his attack and blocked the nine simultaneous slashes before the beams were able to come out. They separated.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Both of them let out a battle roar and their collided turning it into a battle of power. However the force between both swords knocks them apart and to the ground. Its amazing how equal we are in strength. Hamtaro thought. But he was able to block all nine slashes of the Kuzu Ryu Sen. This going to be much harder than I thought. Both of them got up.

"I have more strength while you have more speed. We are practically equal." Joe said. "So it all comes down to height."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember in our last battle I had to jump off the hilt to get enough height to counter your attack?" Hamtaro thought about. He remembered that Joe needed to jump off the hilt of his sword to get enough height to counter his attack.

"Yes." Hamtaro answered.

"This time I challenge you to a contest of height. I won't the hilt this time! Do you accept?" Hamtaro thought about it again. So what he wants is for me to use the Ryu Tsui Sen.

"Yes I accept." Joe pulls out a piece of his fur.

"Here. As soon as it hit's the floor we both jump." Joe throws the piece of fur. Both of them watch it drop. As soon as it touches the ground they both jump. Hamtaro was able to jump higher than Joe so he readied his attack.

"Hiten Mitsurugi style Ryu Tsui Sen!" Hamtaro performed his down slash attack.

"Do you really think you escaped my attack!" Suddenly Joe performed a second jump in mid air. Hamtaro was surprised that Joe was able to do something like that.

"Watoujitsu Chouten Tousei!" He performed the anti-air attack and strikes Hamtaro. Hamtaro drops to the ground. How was he able to do that. I can still hit him.

"Ryu Shou Sen!" Hamtaro performs his own anti-air attack. Joe still isn't fazed.

"Do you think I'm afraid of that attack! Shikku Tousei!" Joe performs an overhead slash with so much power that it forces Hamtaro back to the ground. As Joe hit's the ground they attack again.

"Ryu Kan Sen!"

"Senran Tousei!" Both use their wide slash attacks. The swords collide again but the power of Joe's attack forces Hamtaro to spin and get hit by the attack. Hamtaro gets ready to attack again.

"Hiten Mitsurugi style Kuzu-" But Hamtaro was cut off as Joe shoved his paw into Hamtaro's face and pushed him against the wall. Hamtaro was losing energy fast while Joe didn't even get a scratch.

Up in the tower…

"I KNEW IT! JOE HAS ENOUGH POWER TO DEFEAT HAMTARO! NOW NOTHING WILL STAND IN MY WAY! MWHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" Bijou was worried about Hamtaro. Please don't die Hamtaro. She began to cry.

"Don't worry you will join him soon enough!"

At the base of the tower all the other ham hams have defeated the ninja hams and earned a little rest. While they were healing Hiroshi felt something.

"No."

"What is it?" All of them asked.

"It feels like there is a big battle going on. One of them has so much power and is evil. The other is Hamtaro and it feels like he's losing so much energy!" All of them were shocked. They just hoped that Hiroshi wasn't right.

Back to the battle…

If I can't find my answer soon I'm going to be dead. Hamtaro thought as he stared into Joe's fiery eyes. Each one of my attacks: battoujitsu, the Ryu Tsui Sen, Ryu Shou Sen, Ryu Kan Sen, and even the Kuzu Ryu Sen were defeated. And he defeated the Ama Kakeru Ryu no Hirameki before. I need to find my answer.

Hamtaro thought as he stared into Joe's fiery eyes.

"Are you going to give up anytime soon? I haven't even used my ultimate attack and you have hardly enough energy to fight."

"I can't give up yet!" Hamtaro responded. "I have people who need me especially Bijou."

"I hope you know its pointless to continue!" Joe stabs Hamtaro.

"Goutsui Tousei!" The attack sends Hamtaro flailing through the air. "I can see you suffered so much pain. Here. How about ending it all here." He throws his sword to Hamtaro. "Kill yourself and you won't feel anymore pain." Hamtaro picks up the sword but he throws it back at Joe.

"What do you mean by this?" Joe asked.

"Killing myself won't do anything. All it will do is upset everyone around me. When you stole Bijou I thought there was no point in living. But if I just kill myself nothing will happen and will only make Bijou and Oreo upset. So I will not give up! I will continue to protect everyone around me" Hamtaro takes a step toward Joe. "Besides I feel that someone like you cannot really be this way!" Joe was surprised. Hamtaro continued. "I'm sensing that something happened in the past. I'm sure of it." Joe was getting a bit furious that Hamtaro was able to see through him. But he still stayed calm.

"I see. The power of the Hiten Mitsurugi's predictions allowed you to see through my mind." Joe clenched his fist hard. "I won't you do it again." Joe attacked Hamtaro but it seemed that the attacks were becoming reckless.

What's going on? Why have his attacks become so predictable all of a sudden?

"If what you say is true then why didn't you protect me!" Hamtaro was surprised that he said that.

"If you really are correct then why didn't you protect me form everything that happened!"

At the top of the tower…

"What's happening? Why is his attacks different from before?" The devil ham asked. "It doesn't matter. Darkness is covering the sky. Once ham ham land is covered in total darkness I shall gain the ultimate power!"

In the battle Joe's attacks were still predictable. Hamtaro was able to block most of it. This is different from before.

As Joe fought on he thought of Shade's words again as images of his past appear again. 'If you're strong you live, if you're weak you die'. That is what Shade taught me as well as to use my anger. The tetsusaiga even reacted to it. Shade was right about everything. Images of him killing his family came up. There is no way I'm mistaken.

"SO THE ONLY ONE MISTAKEN…" Joe said with so much fury. "…IS YOU!" This time Joe's attack was so predictable that Hamtaro easily dodged and had clean shot at Joe. However just as Hamtaro swung his sword he stopped.

"What do you think you're doing?" Joe asked. "Do you think you can defeat me without finishing me off?"

"What you said before 'no one protected me back then'. No matter haw much I search my mind I have never met you before." Hamtaro lowers his sword. "But I'm sure that deep inside of you, you are filled with much regret. Your true self probably wanted to live a life without killing anyone. That's what I keep feeling. If its not to late don't you think you should start over?" Joe thought about. An image of him after he killed his relatives appears in his head.

'If you're strong you live…

…if you're weak you die.' That's what Shade had told me.

But is really so bad to be weak?

I have killed so many but killing is something that I didn't want…

Something I didn't want…

…to do

That's right. I was angry in the rain but in reality…

…in reality…

…I was…

…in reality I was crying. For the first time since he killed his relatives he saw himself cry.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Joe grabbed his head and started screaming. Everyone watching this was shocked. Joe. He snapped. Hamtaro thought. Joe still grabbing his head banged it on the floor. When he turned his head to look at Hamtaro. There was fire in his eyes.

"You're in the way!" Joe got up. "Hamtaro every time I look at you IT FRUSTRATES THE HELL OUT OF ME! Every word you say makes me feel weird and unable to fight! BUT NO MORE THIS I PROMISE THAT YOU WILL DIE!" Suddenly light shined everywhere. When it died down Hamtaro looked at what could be the strongest enemy he will ever fight: Joe's blue fur turned into a blood red color and his eyes were a fiery amber color. His fur stood on its ends and the tetsusaiga was glowing.

"You're in the way!" Suddenly Joe appeared right behind Hamtaro ready to kill him. Hamtaro barely dodged the attack which created a crater on the floor. How did he become so f- But his thought was cut off as he saw Joe's sword aimed at his throat.

"This is my ultimate power: The Rage of Insanity! All my stats power up! However I have to be in a state of rage to work and since the tetsusaiga feeds off my anger there is nothing that can stop me…" He shoves his sword into the ground, picks up Hamtaro and unleashes many punches. "…from my revenge. SO NOW YOU DIE!" Joe picks up Hamtaro by the head and hurls him into the wall. Joe wasn't not finished, he strikes Hamtaro with his sword and the force of the attack creates a large crater with Hamtaro at the bottom of it unconscious.

At the top of the tower Bijou cries. No Hamtaro you can't be…

At the base…

"No. I can't feel his energy anymore." All of them were horrified at what Hiroshi said.

In the battle room Joe breathing hard as he looks at his fallen opponent.

"Finally. Hamtaro is dead."

"Not quite!" Joe was shocked as he looked down and saw Hamtaro jump out of the crater.

"You're very persistent! THEN I'LL FINISH YOU WITH THIS!" He held his sword differently. Hamtaro knew what it was. It was the Zetsugi Kofuku Zetousei. "There is no way you'll be able to defeat me. Once my stab connects it will all be over!" Hamtaro thought about how he was going to react. Now what do I do? What is it that's blocking me? What is it? Suddenly several images came to mind…

"Hamtaro don't lose courage. Please. Don't…" Oreo said as she died.

"'The will to live is stronger than anything!'" Kenshin told him.

"I will protect everyone even if it means losing my life!" Boss said.

"Hamtaro, I love you so much. You're love will always help you as well as mine." Bijou once told him. That's my answer.

"Alright! I will counter your attack with…" Hamtaro sheathed his sword. "The Hiten Mitsurugi style ultimate attack Ama Kakeru Ryu no Hirameki."

"Is the end of your life going to your head? You saw how it was defeated. Do you really think it will be different now?" Hamtaro smiled. Joe was taken back by this "This is nonsense."

"Watoujitsu Zetsugi Kofuku Zetousei!"

"Hiten Mitsurugi style ultimate attack Ama Kakeru Ryu no Hirameki!" This time the attack hit Joe before he ducked. He winced at the pain but that wasn't all! A large wind vector came out of the ground pulled Joe toward Hamtaro while damaging him. Why is this attack much stronger? Hamtaro knew the answer and got ready for the second attack. It didn't work before because I had so many doubts in my mind that it weakened the attack. But with the will to live and protect, my courage, and my love I can take a new step forward and perform the ultimate attack. Hamtaro performed a second, more powerful slash at Joe and it sent him flailing through the air. Why? How could I have lost? He was answered by many hamsters suffering one after another. He couldn't help but cry.

At the top of the tower…

"So Joe was defeated?" the devil ham clenched his fists tight. "That means that only I am the strongest! Hamtaro hardly has enough energy. He will die and so will you Bijou!"

Hamtaro. I knew you wouldn't die. She had tears of joy streaming down her cheek.

In the battle room Hamtaro went back to Joe and saw him on the floor breathing hard.

"Hey are you alright?"

"Yeah." Joe answered. "I feel a bit different. As if I were reborn. Maybe I will take your advice. Thanks Hamtaro." Hamtaro smiled at him.

"No problem. Now to choose which door."

"Hamtaro choose the one on the far right. That leads to Bijou." Joe said as he began to rest.

"Should I trust him?"

"Yes!" Hamtaro turned around to see…

"OREO!"

"Now's not the time Hamtaro. You have to save Bijou."

"Right." With that Hamtaro took the door on the far right taking him to a room. He saw Bijou tied to a stake.

"HAMTARO!"

"BIJOU!" Hamtaro tried to run up to her but was blocked by a beam.

"You are going to die now Hamtaro!" The devil ham said.

The devil ham!