I don't own anything except the Takahari family, their Dragoon Spirits, Count Draco von Schneider, and Kenji Okamura
I crumpled the note Ryan had left, then turned my attention to the shard of the evil blade he'd left with it. It might be his own private problem, but I still had to deal with the piece before me.
I set it on the ground, then closed my eye, concentrating. "Yokoshima shushi, temae bekarazu satsu okeru kono seken. Watakushi shimanagashi temae dzuki sono munashii, doko temae mune yakkai sono seisoku iiya ichidan." As I spoke, I wove a kuji pattern in the air, drawing on the primal energy of the universe. The sword fragment rose into the air, and a dark hole appeared before it. Soul Slayer's shard vanished within it, and the gateway disappeared behind it.
I turned to Rose. "Well, that's that."
"What was that?" She indicated the space the metal fragment was no longer occupying.
"The translation would be: 'Evil object, you must not remain in this world. I banish you to the void, where you will bother the living no more'. Essentially, I opened a gate to the darkness from which all things come, and all will return to in the end." I frowned. "The odd thing is, it was almost as if something at the other end was attracting it, pulling it toward itself. I don't know what it was, but it felt… wrong. As evil as the sword."
Rose's eyes narrowed. "Mayfil. Shirley was right; the Death City is active once more. Anything there that might want the sword is conceivably worse than Melbu Frahma himself."
Abruptly, I stiffened, glancing around. Something had changed suddenly, and not for the better.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked, seeing my posture.
"Ikko shunji." I stretched out with my mind, using kuji and my Dragoon Spirit to enhance my senses. A familiar presence was coming, fast. One with a dark aura. My eye widened. "Down!" Taking my own advice, I dropped to the ground, just as a swarm of bats flew past.
As I expected, the bats coalesced into Count Draco von Schneider, my perennial adversary. "Hello, Takahari. We meet again." He glanced at Rose. "And now you have a girlfriend? How touching. Perhaps I'll turn you after I turn her."
"Over my dead body." I stood, drawing Arashi-Jisan at the same time.
Draco shrugged. "As you wish." He drew his broadsword from under his cape. "Can you beat me, Takahari? I rather doubt it. How many times have we fought before, and how many times have I survived? This time, you will fall."
"Really? News to me, gaichou." I raised my right hand, the ring Charle had given me glinting in the light from a nearby lamp. "You can't kill me. Hinote Doragon!" I leapt forward, blade flashing through the air.
Our swords clashed, and we pulled apart. The old vampire shook his head and laughed. "You still think you're immortal? Pitiful fool, you will die."
I smiled coldly. "I can outlast even you, Draco. No matter what you do, I won't die. And I have always been stronger."
"Really?" von Schneider raised an eyebrow. "Do your worst, hunter."
I grinned fiercely. "Gladly." I pulled out my Dragoon Spirit. "Temae mune zannen sannyuu sugi ware matashitemo!" I glanced over at Rose. "Rose, taizai kara kono. Kono waga kaisen hitori, soshite itto shuuryou imasara."
She may not have understood the words themselves, but she caught the meaning and stepped reluctantly away.
I turned back to the vampire. "Alright, kakushigo. It's just you and me." I drew on the Dragoon Spirit's power, letting it alter my form, strengthen my body, and complete the armor of the Diamond Dragoon. "Imasara temae saikoro!" I lunged at him again, this time slicing away his cape.
"Not bad, Takahari. But, the weak will die off to make room for the strong. It is the way of the universe. And you are the weak, while I am the strong." von Schneider raised his blade in an offensive stance.
"Sayou? Nyu-zu dzuki ware, gaichou." I attacked once more, then pulled back. "Goshujin rinban."
Draco shrugged. "As you wish. But remember, I know your armor's weaknesses." His blade began to glow with magic power, the only way his sword could penetrate my armor.
I blocked his first strike, then flew backwards to dodge the next. Even so, I was getting worried. Despite my words to von Schneider, I was not at all confident that the magic in the ring would protect me. If it failed against this magically-empowered blade, I would almost certainly die, for my enemy had given up on trying to turn me, and would settle for killing me.
Within seconds, I knew that this battle was not going well. It had already lasted more than ten seconds, which is a long time for a swordfight, once blades are drawn. Von Schneider was too good, and this fight might end our long enmity, with me as the loser.
It seemed that I was going to be proven right. "Enough of this," Draco said. "Now you die, ninja." He drew back his blade, then hurled it into my chest, where it pierced my heart.
I fell back, staring at the sword buried in my chest. He's too good… I guess this is it for the last master of the Gekido Oni Art. Killed by my old enemy, because my pride wouldn't let me ask for assistance.
I dimly heard von Schneider speaking. "So much for that. Now, as for you…" He seemed to be turning to Rose.
I found my voice. "Not… a good… idea, vermin. You have… no concept… of how much… experience… she has."
The sword was pulled from my chest, and then the hilt hit me in the face. "Shut up and die quietly, Takahari. It's over for you." He stabbed me twice more for good measure, then turned away again.
Then strength began to return to my limbs, and wounds closed. The ring was glowing, its magic healing my injuries, bringing me back from the brink of death.
I slowly stood, drawing Migi-no-te from its scabbard on my belt. "Draco von Schneider,"
The vampire slowly turned, a stunned expression his face.
"The game isn't over yet." I raised my katana. "What's the matter? Don't you want it to end, your long centuries? Revenge will never bring you redemption, so I'm gonna do it for you." I rushed forward, swinging my blade. The blow sliced cleanly though his neck, severing his head; I kicked the headless vampire over the cliff edge.
"Sunawachi taishite sono Kyuuketsuki Ryoushi!" I shouted after him. "Saa taishite ware matashitemo, soshite watakushi mune satsu oite joukei."
I returned to human form just as the other Dragoons arrived. "Ian! Rose! Are you two all right?" Meru asked.
Rose nodded. "It was nothing we couldn't handle." She briefly glanced at me, obviously still shocked by my survival after such a wound.
"Was it von Schneider again?" Karen asked.
"Yep. Cleaned his clock for once, though." I nodded toward the cliff. "He's either temporarily squished, or flying around as a bat. I don't particularly care which."
Karen suddenly looked around. "Hey, where's Ryan? I'd have thought he'd have heard the commotion too."
I shrugged. "Hon'in bekarazu nou, nozoite ki itto renza Soul Slayer. Aitsu kedashi hidarigawa toki izenni, nagara."
Karen gasped at the name, and the others looked apprehensive, though they didn't understand the rest of it. "Tadashi omaesan zenki omaesan shou Soul Slayer, Ian-san! Hatamata mohaya omaesan rigen itto youritsu!?"
"Iesu. Ryan hidarigawa ato fuki; sunawachi warera nou." I handed her the note.
"Would you mind telling the rest of us what's going on?" Dart asked finally.
I looked up. "Oh, sorry. Ryan left a few hours ago, leaving only a note and a metal fragment." I paused. "The Soul Slayer still exists, and he's gone to destroy it. Alone."
"What!? Now? Private vendettas can wait; we're trying to stop my father from destroying the world!"
"Nagoyaka!" My sharp tone got their attention. "Sorry, Dart, but Ryan's right. Nine Dragoons and a Wingly should be enough to deal with whatever comes up before he returns. Besides which, what use is saving the world if something like that evil blade is left alone? Why do you think I stand and fight von Schneider whenever he appears? Because a world that is safe from destruction at the cost of vampires running loose is a world not worth living on. Likewise, even the fragments of that sword can cause a great deal of trouble."
Dart nodded slowly. "I guess you're right."
"I hope he'll be all right," Meru said.
I smiled. "Ryan's a Kyuuketsuki Ryoushi ninja. He'll be fine."
* * *
The next morning, we left Ulara via the teleporter, which brought us to the Home of Giganto, and from there began the journey back to Fletz.
I had a more personal matter to consider, however. Charle had come to a startling conclusion, the day we arrived, and it took some thinking to determine its veracity.
In the end, I found that Charle was probably right, that I did think of Rose as more than just a friend. Even so, there were problems. Itto shikaruni waga matsuro dzuki zanson hitori. Sonna sono ninja jinsei. Sonna waga seishitsu. Ninja kamoshirenai koigokoro ninja yuiitsu. Warera mikiri sono sotogawa seken, soshite motte itto sotogawa koigokoro. And that, I thought, was that. Little did I know how wrong I was…
There was also Ryan to consider. With his departure, we were down one Dragoon, and he didn't have our help. While I had the highest confidence in his fighting skills against normal enemies, I wasn't so sure about his success against Soul Slayer; the weapon had possessed him once before, and it might do so again given the opportunity. I respected his decision to face it alone, but I wasn't sure it was the smartest one he could have made.
One thing I felt certain of, however: whether Ryan wanted it of not, the rest of us would be seeing Soul Slayer again. The blade manipulated people, and was clearly semi-sentient. It would want revenge against me, even more than against Ryan, for I was the one who shattered it.
* * *
We didn't stay long in Fletz; King Zior had already had the Queen Fury readied for our journey, so we left the same day we arrived. From there, it was another journey across the sea.
I climbed to the crow's nest shortly after boarding the ship. On two of our previous journeys with the ship, things had gone wrong, and I wanted a good vantage point from which to spot trouble long before it got near us.
I wearily pulled of my helmet, setting it on the deck beside me. Despite the ring Charle had given me, I still wore my armor, both because I didn't fully trust the magic, and because I wasn't sure I wanted my comrades to know of it. Some things were better kept secret.
It wasn't long before I heard someone coming up the ladder behind me. As I had sensed von Schneider's approach, I knew my visitor's identity immediately. Also, I'd been expecting it. "Hello, Rose."
"Ian." Rose came over and stood beside me.
"I imagine you have some questions."
She nodded. "Yes."
"You want to know how I survived." Again, it wasn't a question.
She nodded once more. "You were dying. Our White-Silver Dragoon was nowhere near."
I raised my right hand, ring glinting in the sunset. "Earlier that day, Charle spoke to me in private, after the rest of you had left. She gave me this ring. She said that it had magic similar to your choker, that I wouldn't age as long as I wore it, and that almost any wound would be healed, fatal or no, before it killed me. Theoretically, even losing my head wouldn't be the end of things. I didn't trust it, but it saved my life then."
Rose's eyes narrowed. "Did she give a reason for why she was giving it to you?"
I took a deep breath. "Yes, she did. She said that I would need it in order to live as long as you." I hesitated; this was a matter that I would have preferred not to bring up at all, but Rose deserved a complete answer. "Charle said… that I feel more for you that just friendship."
Her eyes narrowed even more. "And…?"
I turned. "It doesn't matter if it's true or not. Centuries ago, the ninja gave up the outside world, and with it they forsake outside love. That is how we live, and that's all there is to it."
Rose nodded slightly, then climbed back down to the main deck, leaving me with my thoughts.
Author's note: Another chapter completed and the subplot begins to take shape. Let me know what you think of it.
Here's the translations for this chapter: "Ikko shunji" is "one moment"; "Temae mune zannen sannyuu sugi ware matashitemo" is "you will regret coming after me again"; "Taizai kara kono" is "stay out of this"; "Kono waga kaisen hitori, soshite itto shuuryou imasara" translates roughly as "This is my battle alone, and it ends now"; "Imasara temae saikoro" means "Now you die"; "Sayou" is "indeed"; "Nyu-zu dzuki ware, gaichou" is "news to me, vermin"; "Goshujin rinban" is "your turn"; "Sunawachi taishite sono" is "that is for the"; "saa taishite ware matashitemo, soshite watakushi mune satsu oite joukei" means "come for me again, and I will kill you on sight". "Hon'in bekarazu nou, nozoite ki itto renza" translates as "I do not know, except that it involved"; "aitsu kedashi hidarigawa toki izenni, nagara" is "he probably left hours ago, though"; "tadashi omaesan zenki omaesan shou" is "but you said you destroyed"; "Hatamata mohaya omaesan rigen itto youritsu" means "and now you're saying it's back"; "Iesu" is "yes"; "hidarigawa ato fuki" means "left a note"; "sunawachi warera nou" is "that is how we know"; "Nagoyaka" is "quiet". "Itto shikaruni waga matsuro dzuki zanson hitori" means "it is still my fate to remain alone"; "Sonna sono ninja jinsei" means "such is the ninja life"; "sono waga seishitsu" is "that is our nature"; "Ninja kamoshirenai koigokoro ninja yuiitsu" means "ninja may love ninja only"; and "warera mikiri sono sotogawa seken, soshite motte itto sotogawa koigokoro" is "we forsake the outside world, and with it outside love".
To answer iggles03, this isn't going to exactly follow the ending from the game. As you can probably already tell, the ending is going to be drastically different in this story.
As usual, please read and review.
