I don't own anything except the Takahari family, their Dragoon Spirits, Count Draco von Schneider, and Kenji Okamura.
I awoke in a coughing fit, feeling like I'd just been hit by a planet. The last thing I remembered was taking a blast of magic from a Super Virage, after knocking Rose out of the way.
Groggily, I got to my feet, noting that I was still in Kadessa. That meant that the others hadn't yet found the Dragon Block Staff; either that, or they'd waited for me to wake up. Just one problem… "That spell should've killed me…"
"It did."
I spun around at the voice. Ryan and Miranda were standing there. "What? Mind telling what's going on and where everyone else went, Ryan?"
"I said you died, Ian. Your noble sacrifice put you right in the path of death, and the only reason you're standing here is because we have a White-Silver Dragoon with a resurrection spell with us. You were definitely dead, and- where do you think you're going?"
I'd starting walking away. "To catch up with the others, what's it look like?"
Ryan shook his head. "You're not going anywhere, Ian. Dart said we were to keep you here until you recovered."
"And I'm recovered. So get out of my way."
"Ian, you were dead. You can't just get up and walk away after that-"
"I just did," I said flatly. "Now, are you going to get out of my way, or am I going to have to force my way through?"
My tone had suggested deadly consequences, but Ryan still refused to get out of the way. "Look, Ian, you may not know it, but dying is serious business! You're gonna stay here until Dart tells us you can travel."
My voice went from cold to frozen. "And now Dart is deciding when and where I can go? Tell me, Ryan, did all of the others agree with this? Because it seems to me that it's my judgment that matters where my health is concerned."
He looked away briefly. "Not quite," he muttered. "Rose apparently thought that this wasn't a good idea. But I know you better than she does, and I know you're not fit to travel!"
"Ryan, I don't particularly care how well you think you know me. You should just remember that Rose has a lot more experience judging injuries. Now get out of my way, or I will do whatever I have to do to get past you!"
"I'm not moving, Ian."
"Oh, yes, you are," I said softly. I swept through the sequence for a kuji technique, and Ryan was slammed against the wall, hard enough to leave a dent. "I didn't want to have to do that, but you left no choice."
I walked past him, ignoring an incredulous Miranda, and headed off to find the others. Didn't know I could do that, I thought, glancing back at Ryan briefly, but Ryan didn't give me much choice. I just didn't expect that I could do something like that to my own brother. I snorted. Maybe Rose is starting to rub off on me. It didn't matter anyway; it was probably an improvement. I had to be ready fight my siblings if it came down to it; a bit of Rose's attitude was just what I needed.
* * *
I found the others near what appeared to be a gladiatorial arena. Given the reputations of the ruling Winglies, I didn't want to know what had fought there.
I leapt from my high perch and landed directly in front of Dart, crouched and with a drawn katana. "All right, Dart, what was that all about!?"
"Ian!? What are you doing here!?" Dart's voice was a mix of concern and anger. "I told Ryan not to let you up and around until we were sure you were recovered-"
"That's right, you did. And Ryan tried to obey. Problem was, I happened to disagree. Ryan is now lying unconscious from being slammed into a wall." My voice was cold enough to freeze air. "What the blazes gave you the idea that you could decide when I could leave!? Granted, you're the leader of this band of misfits, but I remind you that I'm not a child, and that despite my age I've more combat experience than most of you combined! I will not allow myself to be treated like an underage invalid!"
"I told you he'd wake up like this," Rose murmured. "Ian's not the type to take that kindly."
Dart threw her a dirty look, then turned back and glared at me. "Ian, you can't just get up and walk away like nothing happened when you were actually dead. You should still be resting-"
If looks could kill, Dart would have been dead in an instant. "Dart. Shut up. I'm a ninja, and ninja do not take time to rest when there is a job to be done. More importantly, I'm a Dragoon. I've got the same obligations you do. And if you're gonna try to keep me out of this, then I have no choice."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm leaving," I said flatly. "If this group is going to try to treat me like an infant, I'm just going to have to fight my battles on my own. I'll see you after you've gotten your heads straightened out."
While the others stared in shock, Rose was strangely silent, and I took the opportunity to leave before they recovered enough to argue.
* * *
I can't believe the lot of them! Just because I got killed and had to be resurrected, they think that I should be 'resting' while they find the Dragon Block Staff! Fine, then. I'll just find the Staff myself!
Finding the Dragon Block Staff was not as easy as I had anticipated. The others actually got to it before I did, but ended up in a fierce battle against an earth-based foe called the Grand Jewel, in which the Staff was embedded.
They seem to be losing. Well, this appears to be a good time to prove that I'm completely recovered. I took a deep breath, drew Arashi-Jisan, and leapt into the fray, screaming a battle cry. "For the Kyuuketsuki Ryoushi!" I flickered from sight briefly as I reached the Grand Jewel, and then reappeared on the other side, hitting the ground hard as the Jewel fell in two pieces behind me.
As Miranda retrieved the Dragon Block Staff, I sheathed Arashi-Jisan and turned to Dart, a challenging look on my face. "Is that 'recovered' enough for you, Dart?"
"Uh… yeah… Sorry about that." Dart was still somewhat surprised by my abrupt entrance.
"Apology accepted. Just remember that if you ever try to do that again, you might not survive the experience."
Rose, as usual, was unperturbed. "What does 'Kyuuketsuki Ryoushi' mean?"
"Vampire Hunters. The name of my ninja clan. Now, only four of us are left. According to Kenji, the Sandorans did more than just kill my family. They went after all the Kyuuketsuki Ryoushi, and the four of us are the only survivors. Ryan, Karen, and I because the Sandorans weren't quite good enough, and Kenji because he wasn't anywhere near. It's fortunate that we effectively wiped out vampires in our world, because we were the only ones that knew they existed. The only Earth vampire to survive is von Schneider, and I will kill him sooner or later."
As we headed out of the Forbidden Land, Rose and I continued to converse, one warrior to another. "Do all of your people name your weapons?"
I nodded. "As I was taught, 'Every good sword has a good name. Take care of your sword and it will take care of you.' Hence, I have Arashi-Jisan, which translates roughly as Stormbringer, and Migi-no-te, or 'Right Hand'. Ryan's original sword was Giri-ken, 'Honor Blade', Karen's is Buke-Kontan, 'Warrior Soul', and Kenji's is In'intaru Doragon, 'Roaring Dragon'. It's largely a matter of personal interests that determine a sword's name. As far as I know, the custom has been with the clan for as long as the Kyuuketsuki Ryoushi have existed, and certainly longer outside it."
"An interesting tradition." Rose appeared to think for a moment. "Why were the ninja created? Most such orders form against a specific enemy."
"They were." This was a subject that had long interested me, so I was quite pleased to explain. "The ninja began their existence about 800 years ago, when Japan was ruled by the Shogunate, whose rule was upheld by the Samurai, warriors with a rather flexible honor code. The Samurai were feared throughout the country, because they could cut off the head of any peasant who refused to bow down before them. Some peasants, however, refused to serve the Samurai, and fled to Japan's high mountains, where they became the ninja. Within a hundred years or so, the ninja became so feared that even a Samurai looked over his shoulder when a ninja had been reported in the area." I thought back for a moment, pondering the information Ryan had uncovered. "From what Ryan's been able to discover, it was about three hundred years after that that our bloodline appeared there. Within a few generations, intermarrying with the native Japanese had removed all traces of a separate origin from our appearance, and given us the name Takahari."
"When did your family begin hunting vampires?"
"That would have been about a century after that. The first vampires arrived from the mainland, and many people were attacked and turned. Then the vampire Hideo Matsuo, who was only recently killed, made the mistake of attacking a ninja of the Hitoshirezu Buke, or 'Hidden Warriors' clan, as we were then known. Matsuo's actions made the hunting of the vampires personal for us, and we became the Kyuuketsuki Ryoushi. Unfortunately, by modern times the hunt had become more myth than fact to most, and only the Okamura and Takahari families continued the battle." I sighed. "Now, they're all gone. The Kyuuketsuki Ryoushi have been wiped out, and only four of us live to continue the hunt."
Rose nodded. "And your old enemy has spread to Endiness. With none to oppose them."
"There will be. There will be."
* * *
Anything else I might have said was cut off by a roar, high above us. I looked up, already certain what it was. There, high above, was a creature that flew with seven wings, and saw with seven eyes. The Divine Dragon.
"It's heading for Deningrad!" I heard Miranda scream. "We have to stop it!"
"I'd love too," Ryan replied, "but unless you've got a jet fighter around somewhere, we can't anywhere near in time. And even if we could, there's the little problem of breathing at high altitude. As it is, all we can do is follow it and hope it doesn't do too much damage."
"Let's hurry, then," Dart said. "I think it's going to do more a little damage to the city. Let's go."
"You're not going anywhere."
I froze at the voice, then slowly turned. Not again! When is he going to get the message that tangling with Dragoons is a bad idea!? As I had known it would, the voice belonged to Count Draco von Schneider, my oldest and most dangerous enemy. But this time, he wasn't alone. There was a robed figure with him, face invisible within the cowl. My blood ran cold. Something about the stranger felt familiar, even though I couldn't see his face. "Everyone continue on to Deningrad. I'll handle von Schneider."
"I'll stay," Rose said unexpectedly. "There is something very wrong here, and I recall your recent problems with him."
"All right. Dart, you guys get going. Now!" Turning back to face the vampire, I drew Arashi-Jisan and held it in a guard position. "Okay, Count, who's your friend there?"
Von Schneider smiled. "Someone who will give you a good deal of trouble, more even than I. I believe you know him, in fact." He gestured, and the hooded figure tossed aside his robe.
Time seemed to slow as I stared into the other's eyes. He was dressed in black, with a katana slung over his shoulder. I paid no attention to that, however. I simply stared at the face. I knew the face. It was mine.
The voice was mine as well. "Well, Count, it appears we've managed to stun him. Shall I?"
"Yes." Draco nodded. "Kill them."
The ninja with my face was in motion almost instantly, katana out and swinging for my head, apparently counting on my shock to get me killed.
But they failed to take Rose's presence into account. Her rapier appeared between me and the katana, thus allowing my head to remain on my shoulders.
Rose was then knocked off her feet by the count, who had a look of fury on his face. "Wait for your turn!"
He wasn't permitted to say anything else. A round from my now-drawn pistol hit him in the shoulder, spinning him away. "It's me you want, vermin." Turning back to my double, I holstered the gun and held my sword in both hands. "Who are you!?"
"I'm you. You as you should have been, a vampire. The count here cloned you, and I am the result." He smiled. "And you might recognize this." He held up his blade.
Doragon-Audauchi! That gaichou found the dojo and raided my sword collection! And now he's gone ahead and cloned me!? Getting my emotions under control, I took several deep breaths. "You're a clone of me? Your batty master cloned me? Well, I'm afraid I can't let you live, particularly since you're trying to kill me." I held up my Dragoon Spirit, transforming quickly. "There can be only one Ian Takahari, and you won't be it!"
Author's note: Finally, a longer chapter! In case you're wondering about how von Schneider could have created a clone, that will be explained in the next chapter.
To answer knightblazer85, they can't simply use the Dragoon Spirit to kill the count because he's a vampire, which can only be killed using specific methods.
As always, please read and review.
