[Second part of Saiketsu Saga. Saiketsu went to Payon Caves to visit an old friend. He goes through memory lane, which explains why he is so bitter. Saikestu is mine, but Talyn belongs to a friend. And Gravity owns the rest.]

[Theme Song: Surreal - Ayumi Hamasaki]

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"The wedding will be tomorrow. I invite everyone of you to join the festive."

"...Right. I will be there. I have to go."

"Saiketsu, where will you be going?"

"Doesn't matter. Just get ready for your wedding. I have personal business to take care of."

"Very well, take care then."

"...Right."

A gentle breeze blew from the north, making the wintery chill rather harsh. Crunkles came from the sandals to the snow as a cloaked figure walked along the forest. Trees were covered in white, bits of flakes still descending in a flurry. A crunkle continued with each step the form took, murmuring, "...How did I end up in this road now?" asked the figure.

"I hate people... yet I am in a group filled with many people. Do I want to belong again?" He gazed up along the deep hole within the cavern. "...I suppose..." The figure extended his hand along the rocky structure of the caverns. "...Payon Caves..." He shut his eyes, murmuring to himself. Everything was so blurry to him. Saiketsu entered the caverns, only able to see a light upon his passage.

The moment he stepped into the light, his form was only but a young boy. His blond hair was quite messy, and he only wore a long blue yukata, wrapped with a gray obi around his waist. He wore a pair of sandals, having the strings separate his feet. The surrounding area was a small wooden house, arranged in a pattern with a thin mat in the middle. He looked over at a tall man, wearing a black robe with a flat hat over his head. He had on a pair of pants and a pair of thin shoes. The face was soften, filled with a mass over his face and sea blue eyes. "Saiketsu, what are you doing?"

The young boy approached the older man, "Father, I want to be a samurai. A strong warrior who will beat up the bad guys!" He flexed his tiny little muscles, "I want to be strong!"

"With the hot-headed temper of yours, you'll never become a samurai. You don't have the patience of one now! Besides, I want you to be a scholar, who will be able to make a difference. Our world needs improvement in things other than fighting."

"But...."

"No!"

The light faded, the new samurai finding himself back within Payon Cave. "..." He lowered his head, wandering along the path til he found an opening. In front of his path were various of skeletons and zombies. The spikey haired, pale purple skinned creature approached the samurai. With a flick of a wrist, the samurai drew the tsurugi upward, slicing the zombie in half. He continued to wander back within the path, finding the next opening.

Through the next flash of light, he was able to see a young girl within the age of ten years old. She wore a violet kimono, dotted with a blue and green. Wrapped around her waist was a green obi, and she wore a pair of white socks and brown sandals. Her green hair was long and wavy, though few of her locks were over the left eye. The area took place within a forest, where she was meeting with the eight year old version of Saiketsu.

"Saiketsu, do you really plan to be a samurai?" she asked with concern.

Saiketsu stepped up, slamming his hand against his chest. "Of course. Or at least a great swordsman. But my dad won't let me." He muttered, then he pouts.

The girl approached Saiketsu, then she leaned over, wrapping both arms around him. "You can become a great swordsman, I believe in you. You just have to control your temper. And possibly sneak in your own swordsplay."

Saiketsu squeaked and landed on his back, muttering, "Hey! Watch it. The mushy stuff is sickening." He sticked his tongue out, but then he smiled. "Thanks, Maiko."

She giggled, then winked at Saiketsu, "Don't mention it. Can we walk along the path together some more?"

"Sure! Let's go!" Saiketsu turned away from Maiko, then he began running along the forest.

The flash ended, allowing Saiketsu to continue his way along the maze of a cavern, "...Maiko. I miss you alot." He lowered his head, then he sighed as he walked past the scattered monsters. Chitter echoed from the martins and the sound of crackled turning came from the Eggyras. He heard an occassional bouncing, but no more.

He walked to the next opening, shutting his eyes. "I miss you. I am sorry..." He gazed at the wall, slamming his fist against the hardened build. He leaned against the wall, allowing his tears to fall. His sight became red. "Amatsu..."

The red hue flowed along the ground, revealing the area to contain a darker time. Night fell, Japanese style laterns fell against the ground, and bodies followed. A shining blade escaped from the body, belonging to a tall skeletal figure in a white, dirtied yukata. The void optics shifted over towards Saikatsu's father, who was cladded in a samurai armor. The figure cocked its head to the side, then it rushed towards the samurai. The skeletal being thrusted the sword against the man's heart, skewering the samurai. It cleaned the blade, leaving the body to collapse before it continued its path.

Saiketsu ran over towards his father, kneeling down. "Father!" He sobbed, then he gazed at the armor. "You're a samurai..."

"Was.. a samurai. A ronin now..." He coughed up his own blood, "I didn't want you to fall into this path. Because the only way to get out is through death. But..." He lowered his head, "If you really are sure about this path... I can't stop you now." He brought his hand up, revealing a tsurugi. "...It's not much. But it is the Kimiyama treasure... If you truly want to become a samurai, respect the blade, always keep it with you." His will to hold the blade withered, his arm dropped against the ground lifelessly.

The child lifted his head into the air, screaming, "Dad!" He sobbed his heart out, until he lifted his head up slowly to gaze at the sword in front of him. He took it from his father's hand. His eyes shifted towards the skeleton, fury covering is vision. "...A Wanderer..." It had gained the boy's enmity, and the child demonstrated the fury by rushing at the creature. He leaped to the air, swinging the back blade of the sword against the face of the skeleton. A chunk of its right face came off, sending it smacking against the ground. However, the Wander Man twisted the blade, using it to cut at the chest. The child deflected it with a twirling blade. But given that he was inexperienced, the blade strucked his hand, causing him to drop the blade and collapse to the ground.

When the Wanderer lifted his blade into the air, Maiko ran over towards the skeleton, pushing both of her arms at the being, "Leave him alone!"

Saiketsu's eyes sharply homed in on Maiko, "No!" But he was too late. Blood escaped her as the Wander Man sliced his sword against her, leaving her corpse lifeless. It looked at the boy, approaching it to finish him off, but it soon walked away past the child.

What was thought to be a minor situation ended up to be quite larger. Most of Amatsu was covered with smoke. Flames erupted violently within the area, blackening the skies with fumes.

The boy looked at the body of Maiko, then he sobbed on her body, "...The only one who believed in me. The only one, gone." He clenched his fist, snarling, "I will serve no one but myself!" He took the tsurugi, putting his left hand over the bleeding right palm.

Blood stopped flowing within the samurai's mind as he continued his walk along the path, looking around to see munaks and bonguns hopping with each other. His eyes narrowed, then they downcasted. "..."

Blood gushed everywhere with each slash. Every warrior ranging from a knight to even a ninja came in place. Bodies slammed against the ground, laying in piles before the angry Saiketsu.

The thought faded once again, allowing Saiketsu to shut his eyes as he listened to the voices.

An old voice asked, "Who are you?"

"...Shikyo..." muttered Saiketsu, before the sound of a blade skewering the old man took place.

"...Those that I killed in my anger, my self-pity... That irritated me. I had no trust in people. I had no reason to like people." He sighed.

Then, a feminine voice spoke while Saiketsu continued to walk. "Well, I offer you a chance for redemption. Join the Dreamers."

"And who the hell are you?" snarled Saiketsu.

"Talyn, the leader of the Dreamers. We're set on unifying the world, you know. We can also help you become clean again."

"... The hell with you and everyone. I need no one."

"Will you continue to beat yourself up? Or slaying every single being until you end up killing yourself?"

"..."

"Answer me!"

"I am a ronin."

"And you will be a samurai."

"...Very well."

Saiketsu murmured to himself, "Why did I join the Dreamers? Did I want to belong again?" He lowered his head, sliding his palm against the door. He took a deep breath, then he enetered the fourth basement. "..." His eyes wander around, looking at all of the women floating around. Each of them wearing a rich lavender kimono, bearing long flowing black hair with a long stick horizontally with ribbons on each side. Their forms move with grace in a line, ignoring all within their surroundings.

"...Sohees..." He walked along the placid cavern, ignoring the Mandragoras. He gazed over at one of the Sohees, that somehow managed to catch his attention. He was able to spot the green streaks of her hair. "...Maiko." Tears flew along his eyes as he stepped over towards her. "...I don't know what to say." He lowered his head, "I see you again, and it makes me smile..." He wiped his tears, "I am sorry for leaving you. I am sorry for not accepting the hugs and kisses." He reached over to hug her, kneeling down. "I lost the only person that believed in me..." He shook his head, "...You probably don't even hear me... lost within the soul." He stood up, eyes downcasted. "It serves me right, I suppose..." He begun to walk over towards the exit.

After a long period of floating, when Saiketsu walked towards the door, the Sohee spoke with a soft, charmed voice. "Saiketsu. Don't go. Please, stay here with me for a while longer. I missed you..."

Saiketsu shifted his eyes over towards the Sohee, soon smiling as he wiped his final tears from his eyes. The other sohees were non-existant to them, and the sound died as they only saw each other.